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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:
- "the consignment" (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 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)
- "consignment " (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 american 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)
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a orphan scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Pascallin" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <pascallinserrano@btinternet.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:40:17 +0100
Subject: FROM MRS PASCALLIN SERRANO
Hello
I am mrs Pascallin Serrano from Philippines, widow to the late former minister in Philippines who died on the 14th of october 2006 in a motor accident.
After the death of my husband i inherited a total sum of $20 Million American dollars from my late husband, the money was concealed in a metallic trunk box and was deposited with a security and finance company in Abidjan Cote D'Ivoire, that was because he needed a maximum security/safety of the consignment and no body or governmental organization can trace the where about of the money until Iam ready and prepare to claim it.
The Security company didn't know the real content of the box, because it was deposited under a secret arrangement as a family valuables. I have plans to do investment in your country, like real estate and industrial production along with charitable organisation like motherless children's home and old people's home.
My main purpose of sending you this mail is because of the way I found you and perhaps trustworthy to give you this priority of shipping the box of money to any address that you think is very secure and save in your country for onward lodgement into your account for the purpose of future investment which i shall give you 20% of the fund as your shear or compesation for helping me. I will send you the Authorization Certificate which are the Certificate of Deposit and the Certificate of Agreement that the security company gave to my late husband on the day the box of money was deposited under their company.
I will aprreciate if you consider my faith of trust and understanding of this mail in good faith in helping me claim this trunk box to any address that you think is very secure and save in your country for onward lodgement into your account. I await your urgent response if you are willing to help me.
Regards,
Mrs. Pascallin Serrano.
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