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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:
- "mtcn" (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)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "will.john@yahoo.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: "DIPLOMAT Will John" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <will.john@yahoo.cn>
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:13:42 +0300
Subject: God bless for your understanding.
Attn: TO You,
I'm diplomat John Will; I have been trying to reach you on your telephone about an hour now just to inform you about my successful arrival in NEWARK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (EWR) New York with your two boxes of consignment Box worth $1.5m one Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars which I have been instructed by ECOWAS COURIER DELIVERY COMPANY to be delivered to you. The Airport authority demanded for all the legal back up papers to prove to them that the fund is not related with drug or fraudulent money,
I have presented the papers I handed it over to them and they are very much pleased with the paper's I presented but the only thing that is still keeping me here is the airport delivery Tag which is not placed on the boxes, one of the Airport Authority has advise that we get the delivery tag so that I can exit the airport immediately and make my delivery successful. I try to reason with them and they stated the delivery tag will cost us just $350 Dollars only to get the two tag placed on the boxes as that tag will enable me get to your house successfully without any disturbance, they scanned the boxes and found out that the fund is 100 % spend able and accepted by any bank in the whole world.
Please send me your direct number where you can be reached for fast communication today, as I can not afford to spend more time here due to other delivery I have to take care of in Bangkok. Here are the papers backing the funds together with my ID CARD as I can accompany you to your bank were you will deposit the fund successfully with these papers. I have more vital paper with me but I can only present you the hard copy when I reach your house as that it's the diplomatic rules, such as authorization to deliver.
You can direct the tag fee to our Head Office as they will get it here for you and they are entitled to receive and make any payment to foreign countries authority. GET BACK TO ME IN MY EMAIL NOW ;( will.john@yahoo.cn)
Below is the payment details on where you are to send the 350$ to today.
Receiver Name: PETER ALI
Receivers Address: LAGOS-NIGERIA.
Amount: 350US Dollars
Text Question: IN GOD?
Answer: WE TRUST.
SENDER NAME
MTCN
I will be waiting to hear from you because we don't have much time left
Thanks and God bless for your understanding.
Regard
DIPLOMAT Will John
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