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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "lauraolsen22@gmx.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- "lauraolsen22@gmx.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Laura Olsen" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <lauraolsen22@gmx.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 00:32:25 +0100
Subject: In Good Faith
Dear Beloved in Christ,
I am Mrs Laura Olsen,suffering from cancerous ailment.I was married to Mr.Raymond Olsen,my husband
worked with Chevron/Texaco in the United Kingdom for twenty years before he died in the year 2003.
My late husband deposited the sum of £ 5.3 Million (Five Million Three Hundred Thousand
Pounds) with a Bank in United Kingdom.
Recently,my Doctor told me that I have limited days to live due to the stroke and cancerous problems I am suffering from.
I have decided to donate this fund to you and want you to use this husbands effort to fund the upkeep of widows and charities
worldwide.I took this decision because I do not have any child that will inherit this money and my
husband relatives are bourgeois and very wealthy persons and I do not want my husband hard earned
money to be misused.
Awaiting your urgent reply via my email.address: lauraolsen22@gmx.com
With God all things are possible.
Your Sister in Christ,
Mrs. Laura Olsen
lauraolsen22@gmx.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
