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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:
- "million united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
Fraud email example:
From: "MRS DORIS CHIDERA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <dorischidera@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:04:53 -0700
Subject: RE-OUTSTANDING PAYMENT
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUNDS (IMF)
OFFICE NO IN NIGERIA: 23 ADEBOYE ST,APAPA LAGOS.
TELEPHONE : +2348080754552
ATTENTION BENEFICIARY,
RE-OUTSTANDING PAYMENT
This is to inform you of your Long overdue Payment outstanding our Banking
records . Your name appeared among the beneficiaries who will receive a part-payment
of US$40.000,000 million (Fourty Million United
State dollars) and it has been approved already for payment months ago.
However we received an email from one Mr.Kennedy Franklin who told us
thathe is your next of kin and that you died in a car accident last four
months back .
He has also submitted his account informations to the office department
for transfer of the fund to him as your inheritor. We are now verifying by
contacting your email address as we have in our Bank recordsbefore we can
make the transfer into his account and for us to conclude confirmation
ifyou are dead or not. Please , confirmresponse immediately before our
action release of the outstanding payment against your name listed out .
Upon this, i request you send your full personal information as soon as
possible to enable this department finalize the transfer of the fund
release to your nominated foreign Bank Account. This department needs the
following informations from you urgently.
1.Full Names ..........
2.Telephone Or Fax Number..........
3.Contact Address..........
4.Age..........
5.Occupation..........
6.Sex..........
Regards,
MRS DORIS CHIDERA
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUNDS.
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