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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "kingsleymo@blumail.org" (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.
- 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: "Dr. KINGSLEY MOGHALU" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <drkmoghal@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:19:17 -0800
Subject: TREAT URGENT
FROM THE DESK OF DR. KINGSLEY MOGHALU
DEPUTY GOVERNOR CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA(CBN)
NO FINANCIAL SYSTEM STABILITY
Tel: +234-702-936-0336
RE: PAYMENT OF YOUR CONTRACT / INHERITANCE FUND OF US$10,000.000.00
We wish to bring to your notice that your abandoned Contract File valued US$10.000.000.00, has been approved by the Federal Ministry of Finance and sent to the HSBC LONDON for onward payment to you has being referred back to CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA due to your inability to conclude and have this fund transferred to you by the HSBC LONDON.
Why have you decided to abandon your contract funds that have been approved for a very long time unclaimed? The present administration has taken steps to encourage willing contractors to claim their funds, I am therefore extending this message to you today do reach us with all the necessary details about this fund as contained here below for your true identification as the rightful owner and beneficiary of the fund.
1). Full Name:
2). Your Address:
3). Telephone/Fax:
4). Age/Occupation:
5). Copy of your Identity Card:
6). Bank Name:
7). Bank Address:
8). Bank Toll Telephone/Fax:
9). Account Number
10).Account Holders Name:
11).Swift Code:
And any other necessary particulars that could re-establish your claim to this should be forwarded immediately to us for verification.
To this effect, on the receipt your detailed information the CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA shall inform you on the modalities to which you shall receive this payment after facts have being verified and ascertained to be correct.
We look forward to hear from you on this, thanks.
Yours faithfully,
DR. KINGSLEY MOGHALU
DEPUTY GOVERNOR (CBN)
FINANCIAL SYSTEM STABILITY
E-mail: kingsleymo@blumail.org
Tel: +234-702-936-0336
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Anti-fraud resources:
