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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:
- "million united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "kojo" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <tonykojo@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2011 12:04:33 +0100
Subject: GOODDAY
Good Day,
My name is Mr. Tony Kojo. I am the manager of Standard Chartered bank of Ghana Kumasi branch in the Ashanti region of Ghana. I got your contact when I was searching for an overseas partner to assist me.
I write you this Letter in good faith I am 45 years old married with two lovely kids. I have packaged a transaction that will benefit you and I as the branch manager of the Standard Chartered Bank; it is my duty to send a report to my head office in the capital city of (Accra Ghana) at the end of each year business.
On the course of last two years 2009 business report, I discovered that my branch in which I am the manager made six million united state dollars which my head office are not aware of and will never be aware of it.
I have deposited this fund on what we call (escrow) call account with no beneficiary. As the branch manager of this bank I cannot be directly connected to this money, so my contacting you to this transaction is to assist me receive this fund in your bank account and get 30% of the total fund as your own share.
If you agree to assist me, I will immediately program your full information in the computer system here in my own branch as an account owner in Standard Chartered Bank of Ghana. It will be a bank-to-bank transfer, and all I need from you is to stand and claim as the original depositor of these fund who made the deposit in my branch so that my head office will immediately order the transfer to your designated bank account.
If you accept to work with me I will appreciate it very much.
Thank you in advance as you co-operates with me and God bless you.
Yours Truly,
Mr. Tony Kojo.
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