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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:
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "million pounds" (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 next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Terry Grant <terrygrant2000@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:00:38 +0300
Subject: lets collaborate together.
Hello and good day !!
I am in a privilege position to make both of us benefit 15.5 Million
Pounds from
a UK-based bank where I am a staff.I need a very trustworthy,sincere and
reliable foreign partner in order to achieve success.Be assured that
due process
shall be followed to procure legal documents backing up this transaction.The
total sum of 15.5 million pounds will be transfered from an account
belonging to
a late customer who died with his entire immediate family,including his
next-of-kin,in a plane crash in year 2000 in the New York bound AIR FRANCE
concord plane crash.For more information and pictorial details regarding the
crash please visit : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
Since I have been unsuccessful in locating any other relatives up to this
moment, I am contacting you to assist and collaborate with me in repatriating
all the money left behind by late property magnate.I have reasoned very
professionally and I feel it will be legally possible to use my position to
manipulate to make you the next-of-kin.This is achievable if you allow me to
present you (as the next-of-kin to the deceased) to the management of
the branch
of bank so that the proceeds of the account can be processed in your name and
subsequently be paid to you.But all I require from you is your honest
co-operation to enable us see this business through.Trust me, as the account
officer to the deceased I hereby assure you that all modalities have been
properly worked out and I propose we share the proceeds in the ratio of 60% to
me and 40% to you.
All I require from you to commence the immediate process are just the
following
: (1) Full names (2) Contact address (3) Phone & fax numbers (4) your profile.
Awaiting your response to enable me give you more details & procedures to be
adopted.
Very Sincerely
Terry Grant
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