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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- barristerjamessmith1315@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Barr James Smith <james_smith-----98@att.net>
Reply-To: barristerjamessmith1315@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:24:55 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Dear Friend,
Dear Friend,
This is an official legal notice for an unclaimed fund left by one of these companies' deceased clients Engr Thomas, who died in a plane crash in Togo on the
25th December 2003. I am the director in charge of auditing and accounting unit of Access Bank Awka branch. I discovered the sum of $15.5 Million left in the
deceased account and the fund has been lying in as a suspense account, since no one has come up for claim. I hereby solicit for your immediate response and
positive committed efforts to facilitate for the claim of this fund as the next of kin to the deceased. Upon your positive response to this covenant, I will
make all necessary information known to you.
Yours Sincerely
Mr. James Smith
Alternative Email: barristerjamessmith1315@gmail.com
phone number +23481387399576
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Anti-fraud resources:
