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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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:
- "economic and financial crimes commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "(efcc)" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "farida mzamber waziri" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "farida waziri" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- mrsfaridawaziri@sapo.pt (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <efcc.ngr@cantv.net>
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2009 14:12:59 -0800
Subject: DELAYED FUND PAYMENT: YOU HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THE WRONG OFFICES.
Hello,
My name is Mrs Farida Mzamber Waziri the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Chairperson(EFCC) in Nigeria. I understand you are expecting your delayed fund to be wired to your bank account but some top government officials and bank partners will not tell you the truth about the whereabouts of your fund, all they are interested in is for you to pay outrageous fees which you have refused to come up with.
I have contacted you to let you know the truth because i know you have gone far in trying to get this fund and must have paid monies to persons you are not supposed to give out a dime to most especially internet scammers who never use their real names but frequently take on the identity of real Government officials to help make themselves and their scam appear legitimate in a view to defraud unsuspecting fund beneficiaries out of their hard earned money.
I will be ready to help in delivering your fund sum to you as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission principal officer in appropriate time and measure. You can choose to believe me or forget contacting me again the choice is yours but i know that they will never tell you the truth because they are all fraudulent criminals. I can be reached immediately via my private email box: mrsfaridawaziri@sapo.pt
I expect your prompt response upon your receipt of this e-mail.
Regards.
Mrs Farida Waziri
Chairperson,
EFCC.
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Anti-fraud resources:
