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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:
- "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Dr.Jomo Tembe" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <thedme2010@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:28:36 +0200
Subject: FROM THE DME SOUTH AFRICA READ URGENT.
ATTN: SIR / MADAM
CONFIDENTIAL & URGENT
I am Dr. Jomo Tembe, of South Africa Department of Minerals & Energy. Within the Department where I work as a director of audit and Project Implementation we have in our possession an overdue payment in US Funds. This is to intimate you on a transfer transaction of US Dollars Abroad, in which I would seek your assistance. I have the authority to propose that should you be willing to assist us in this transaction your share as compensation will be 25%, while my colleagues and I will receive 65% and the balance of 10% for taxation and miscellaneous expenses incurred.
I want to assure you that myself and my partners are in a position to make this transfer possible provided you can give us a very strong assurance and guarantee that our share will be secured and please remember to treat this matter as very confidential matter, because we will not comprehend with any form of exposure as we are still in active Government Service and remember once again that time is of great essence in this business.
Kindly email me your phone number or fax so we can open communication on how we can conclude this transaction
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Jomo Tembe.
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