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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "aliamohammed@w.cn" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- "aliamohammed@w.cn" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Ali Mohammed <office------da.o-9@att.net>
Reply-To: aliamohammed@w.cn
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2011 16:55:22 -0800 (PST)
Subject: From Sirte Libya
Ali Alimohammed
Tunisia - Zawiyah Boarder,
Libya
Email. aliamohammed@w.cn
My Dear Friend,
Good day and compliments, I know this letter will definitely come to you as a huge surprise, but I implore you to take the time to go through it carefully as the decision you make will go off a long way to determine my future and continued existence.. I need your help for a new life in this time of trouble.
Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Ali Mohammed Ali , a mercenary army loyal to Libyan Leader Muammar AL-Gaddafi. serving with the Special forces that Patrols the area of Zawiyah Sirte in Libya home town of the leader, I am desperately in need of assistance and I have summoned up courage to contact you with hope that you will not betray me at the end. I am presently in Border area and i am using one of Internet services available here to quickly communicate you . I found your contact particulars and email address by searching through the Internet and decided to write you due to the urgency.. I want this information to be exclusively between me and you only because i don't want anybody to know about it. Once you receive this message try to write me back indicating your interest .
I am seeking your assistance to evacuate large sum of money to your country for investment into a viable business you can handle. What i need is the safety of the funds in your business and also i want to know how you can help me to process necessary immigration papers for me to start coming over immediately because i am presently stranded and have no traveling papers to anywhere. This is not a stolen money and there are no dangers involved and i will give all details you require from me in my next message. Please reply through email to aliamohammed@w.cn
I will be waiting for your immediate response.
Thanks for your prompt response.
Yours Sincerely
Ali Alimohammed
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