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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:
- "hundred thousand u.s 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)
- 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.
- marilynkht@myself.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "marilyn" <info-mplaza@4u.com.gh>
Reply-To: marilynkht@myself.com
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2010 23:52:39 -0000 (GMT)
Subject: Please help
Hello,
My name is Miss Marilyn Mohamed 17 years old from the Darfur, Sudan now
under (UNHCR) asylum protection in Ghana because of the war in my
native country.
My father was killed along side with my mother during the long civil
war and his properties were totally destroyed.
However, after their death I managed to escape with a very important
file of my father which stated that he deposited the sum of (US$4.5M)
Four Million Five Hundred Thousand U.S Dollars in one of the banks
in London.
I would appreciate you to represent me in withdrawing the fund and
also help me invest in profitable ventures since I have a limited
knowledge in the business world. I need your friendship and trust to
start living again and put our horrible past behind us.
I need you to become my family again because I live lonely here and
have no more family. Thanks and God bless you.Please reply to my personal
address: marilynkht@myself.com
Yours truly,
Marilyn
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Anti-fraud resources:
