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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:
- 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 "dying widow" scam.
- 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.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs Abomey Smith" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrsabomeysmith@live.fr>
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 09:32:16 +0100
Subject: Can I trust You? Please Call Me
Dearest One
I am Mrs Abomey Smith from benin. I am married to Mr James Smith who worked with benin Embassy in canada for nine years before he died in the year 2004. We were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only four days.
Before his death we were both born again christians.Since the death of my husband I decided not to re-marry or get a child outside my matrimonial home which the Bible is against. When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of (Fifteen Million U.S.Dollars) in a Finance company .
Presently, this money still with the Finance company and the management just wrote me as the beneficiary to come forward or rather issue a letter of authorisation to somebody to receive it on my behalf if I can not come over.
Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs. I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only a few weeks to live.
It is my last wish to see this money transfered to you and be as a guardian to this fund . Because relatives and friends have plundered so much of my wealth since my illness, I cannot live with the agony of entrusting this huge responsibility to any of them. Please,I beg you in the name of God to assist me bring this money out from the bank and transfer it to your country and arrange so that I can come over to your Country for more medical attention .
As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the company . I will also issue you a letter of authority that will prove you as the new beneficiary of this fund. I want you to always pray for me because the lord is my shephard.
My happiness is that I lived a life of a worthy Christian. whoever that wants to serve the Lord must serve him in spirit and truth. Please always be prayerful all through your life. If you are willing to assist me forward the following:
1. Your Full Name
2. Contact address
3. Telephone Number.
Any delay in your reply will give me the room in sourcing for another person for this same purpose. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated here.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Yours in Christ .
Mrs Abomey Smith
Tel: +229 66 30 10 12
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