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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:
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a orphan scam.
- This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- aishayacuba97@yahoo.com (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: AISHA YACUBA <aisha.yacuba2@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: aisha_yacuba2020@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2010 22:49:40 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: I NEED YOUR HELP
Hello,
Honestly I do recognised the surprise this mail may bring to you most especially as it comes from a stranger. I am Ms. Aisha Yacuba Ali. I am from Sao Tome & Principe.
I know it is natural for you to wonder why i have contacted you for this when we have not known or met each other before but i must confess to you that life has taught me that there is a time in ones life when she has to trust and confide in a total stranger instead of her relatieves or people she knows.
It all started when my uncle conspired with my father's business associate and poisoned my beloved father to death just because He wants to claim my father's properties which is my inheritance as the only child of my late parents. My uncle who is suppose to be there for me when my father is not there now becames my hunter.
Before the death of father he told me that he deposited this money (3.8 million U.S Dollars) with a bank in Abidjan the capital city of Cote d'Ivoire but He deposited the money to the Beneficiary of His then Foreign Partner and had an Agreement with the bank that this money should be transferred to his then Foreign partner.
According to my late father He was to submit His then foreign partner's personal informtions and datas to the bank later but unfortunately as fate may have it my father died without submitting to the bank his then foreign partner's personal informations and data's for the transfer of the money.
Now based on this, I am obliged to get a foreign partner to be able to transfer this money out of my country for investment abroad.
Even as i am talking to you now, i have fled from my family house to the interior area of my country for my hide out in a guest house for my safety untill this transfer is completed then you will withdraw some money from it and send to me so i can get my traveling document to come over and meet you in your country for my safety and to continue my education.
You are my only hope now and i am really counting on you. We will share 60/40% of the profit made from any investment made in your country( 60% for me while 40% for you).
Waiting to hear from you.
Aishat Yacuba
aishayacuba97@yahoo.com
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