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joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam
The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.
Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.
Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!
Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.
Click here to report a problem with this page.
Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:
- This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "trunk box" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "trunk boxes" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "million dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: JOHN ENGLAND <johnengland1@usa.com>
Reply-To: johnengland@usa.com
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:07:18 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: From John England Jr.
Dear Friend,
Permit the manner with which I am seeking your assistance but I am short of options and have no other choice. I am John England from the hospitality state (Mississippi), an army contractor attached to the U.S.A Military force in Iraq. The reason why I’m explaining my findings to you is to seek for your assistance to enable me send this two trunk boxes out from Iraq that contain ($23.3million Dollars) which I have found.
This was quite an illegal thing to do, but I tell you what? No compensation can make up for the risk we have taken with our lives in this hell hole. Of which my brother in-law was killed by a road side bomb last week. You will find the story of this money on the web address below;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm
I am now in desperate need of a “Reliable and Trustworthy†person like you who would receive, secure and protect these boxes containing the US Dollars for me up on till my assignment elapses here. We cannot afford to leave the boxes here in Iraq for any reason since Iraq is getting unsafe and dangerous everyday.. We have no idea what could happen next as everything remains inconclusive at this point. I am fully aware of what your thoughts would be next which is why I intend to include my picture as well as my I.D for you to know whom you are dealing with.
I assure and promise to give you 15% of this fund, however feel free to negotiate what you wish to have as your percentage in this deal. Please assure me of your keeping this topmost secret within you so that my job would not be jeopardized.
My Sincere Regards,
John England.
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