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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.
- 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.
- sreidassociate@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Samuel Reid & Associates" <info@sra.org> (may be fake)
Reply-To: sreidassociate@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:46:44 +0300 (EEST)
Subject: Attn: Friend
Urgent and Corporate Next of Kin Needed
Attn: Friend,
I am Samuel Reid (Esq.) Attorney and secretary to my late deceased client
of Gulf Stream crude oil. Prior to his unexpected death in August 2006
deposited $15.5M USD on trust with a Bank. Eventually, he died in a plane
crash and since his death nobody has Apply for the claims of his estate as
the next of kin. He died intestate.
It is a situation I have monitored closely. Now having monitored this
deposit and managed it over the years before his death and hence nobody
has showed up as the next of kin for the past years. I now solicit for
your assistance to present you as the next of kin as every other
arrangement has been concluded by me. I am only waiting for a foreigner to
take possession of the deposit. There is no risk attached to it as the
entire document required for claims will be obtained legally by me as his
proxy.
I cannot make claim regarding the funds, all I have to do is to donate
somebody as his next of kin and beneficiary to make claim of the said fund
for us to share as Partners. I therefore request you to confirm your
interest by a return message and I will forward details and more
information on how to go about the subject matter.
To facilitate a rather more secured link with you, kindly indulge me with
the following:
1). Full Names, sex and Address
2). Telephone, Fax and Cell phone numbers
Your respond must be direct to:
Email: sreidassociate@gmail.com
This project is ready for execution as soon as I hear from you. I look
forward to your swift response to this letter.
Sincerely Yours.
Samuel Reid (Esq.)
Principal Partner (Samuel Reid & Associates)
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