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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million 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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (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 next of kin 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.
- salam.musa4@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: salam musa <salam.musa4@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:54:04 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: (IMPORTANT) FROM MR SALAM MUSA.
From Mr
Salam Musa.
Auditing and accounting manager,
United Bank of Africa (B O
A)
Ouagadougou-burkina faso.
Dear friend,
I knew that
this message will come to you as a surprise; I am the auditing manager in united
bank of Africa (B.O.A) Ouagadougou Burkina Faso , West Africa . I hope that you
will not expose or betray this trust and confident that i am about to impose on
you for the mutual benefit of our families.
I need your urgent
assistance in transferring the sum of (usd$14 million dollars) to your account.
This money has been dormant for years in our bank without any body claiming the
fund. I want the bank to release the money to you as the nearest person to our
deceased customer; the account belongs to one of our foreign customer (Mr.
George Brumley) who died along with his entire family on November
2003.
I don't want the money to go into our bank treasury account as an
unclaimed fund, delete it if you are not interested. so this is the reason why i
contacted you so that the bank can release this money to you as the next of kin
to the deceased. please i will like you to keep this proposal as a top secret
and
Upon receipt of your reply, i will give you full details on how the
business will be executed and also note that you will have 40% of the above
mentioned sum if you agree to handle this business with me.
And 10% will be set
aside for any expenses that arises on the process before the fund get into your
account such as telephone call bills (+226 78 983 837).
I look
forward expecting to hear from you. you can reply through this email
address ... ( salam.musa4@gmail.com)
1. Name in
full:......................... ........
2. Address:......................
.................
3. Nationality:.................. ..................
4.
Age:.......................... ..................
5.
Sex........................... ................
6.
Occupation:................... ..........
7. Marital
status:....................... ....
8. Phone
no............................
9. Fax:..........................
.............
Best regards
Mr Salam
Musa.
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