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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:
- "security keeping fee" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "consignment " (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "million united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "fedex-01@live.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" 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: "Mr. James Morgan" <sweetpeagirl1951@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: fedex-01@live.com
Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2011 00:14:36 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: CONTACT FEDEX COURIER SERVICES FOR YOUR PACKAGE.
Good day!!!
I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank Draft of $2.5Million United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you for a couple of weeks now. Then I went to the bank to confirm if the draft has expired or getting near to expire and Dr. Wilson the Director Bank of Africa told me that before the draft will get to your hand that it will expire. I told him to cash the $2.5Million UNITED STATES DOLLARS and lodge it a consignment box as clothes to avoid losing this funds under expiration as I will be out of the country for a 3 Months Course and I will not come back till ending of June 2011.
What you have to do now is to contact FEDEX COURIER SERVICES as soon as possible with the below information to know when they will deliver your Consignment box to you because of the expiring date. For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance premium so you will only pay the Security Keeping Fee of $105. to enable them deliver your Consignment direct to your postal Address in your country is. I would have paid that but they said no because they don't know when you will contact them and in case of dumurrage. You have to contact FEDEX COURIER SERVICES now for the delivery of your package with this information bellow;
Directors Name: Dr. Steven Tusatusa
Company Name: FEDEX COURIER SERVICES
Email Address: fedex-01@live.com
Tel/Fax: +2348168757112
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Shipment Code: FED/00987-887641
Parcel Number: 9003
Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address and Direct telephone number to them again. Please do not fail to contact the FEDEX COURIER SERVICES as soon as you receive this mail to avoid any further delay and remember to pay the Security Keeping fee of $105 US Dollars only so that they will deliver your package to your address immediately.
Note that the FEDEX COURIER SERVICES don't know the contents of the Box. They did not know the contents was money. I registered it as a BOX of Africa clothes (family valuables) to avoid them delaying the delivery of the BOX. Don't let them know that the box contain funds ok.
I am waiting for your urgent response.
Yours Faithfully,
Mr. James Morgan.
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