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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:
- 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)
- "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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: "John Mansah" (may be fake)
Date: Tue, 17 May 2011 22:13:24 +0100
Subject: i wait to hear from you
Attn:
Following the result of the Nigerian presidential election of the 16th of April which President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan won clearly.
An other has been giving to the Nigerian Federal ministry of Finance from the Presidency to make sure all outstanding foreign contractors debt payment is carried out with immediate effect before the end of this month that the ministry has to make sure that the payment are made to all foreigners that inoveled as a mark of fulfilling the promise he made during his campaign.
Foreign Remittance Department Federal Ministry of Finance has be authorized to contact you and inform you that an approval of $3.5M has been granted by our ministry to transfer out from the country treasury to your account as part payment of your fund since you are one of the lucky foreigners that the government approved to be paid through our paying center in Malaysia were you will travel to collect this approved $3.5M in Cash within the bank over there and note that you will not pay a cent upfront to any body to get this cash from Malaysia or if you can not travel to malaysia the fund will be loaded into an ATM VISA CARD and send it to any address you will provide directly from here in Nigeria but note you will have to pay for the card and for the cost of sending it to you before you will receive it.
This is the directives from the Presidency as at yesterday and we expect that you will respond positivly to this mail to enable us know your mind towards it and the best way you may wish to get this your approved fun before the month end as the we are adviced.
I wait for your urgent reply if this mail mean something good to you after reading it meanwhile my security and official telephone number is +234 8023156172 in case you want to call me but it has to be used by only you alone please.
Yours sincerely,
John Mansah
Legal Rep.Foreign Remittance Department
Federal Ministry of Finance
Federal Government of Nigeria
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