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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:
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- douglaslwachambers@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Bill Gray" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jdshd@centrum.cz>
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2010 04:25:49 -0800
Subject: token of appreciation..
Dear,
This is to inform you of my success in claiming the fund worth $3.3Million. Right now I am out of the country with my family for a vacation in Dubai, I dropped a cashier's cheque worth of $150,000 ( One Hundred and fifty thousand united states dollars only ) for you. I left the Cheque with my Lawyer in Nigeria and told him I shall be instructing you to contact him for the cheque.
Please accept it as a token of appreciation for your endless efforts in assisting me over this transaction.
Contact my lawyer via:
Barr. Douglas Newman
Douglas Law Chambers and Association
Tel: (+234) 802 529 9561
Email: douglaslwachambers@gmail.com
Tell him you were directed by me and forward to him your mailing address and phone number so he can mail the check to you. More so, Try as much as you can to give him a call as he is a busy man so he can pay urgent attention to your request before the cheque expires. I will not be back to United States until next year 12th March 2010 as am on long vacation with my family.
I hope this good news meets you in good health.
Thanks for been a friend.
Bill
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