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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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:
- "fund beneficiary" (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)
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- 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.
- This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- generalfrankcoyle@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Genral Frank Coyle" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <generalfrankcoyle@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:57:12 +0100
Subject: Re: Ministry of finance (HM Treasury)..
From: General Frank Coyle
Ministry of finance (HM Treasury)
Financial Services Authority (FSA)
Financial Intelligence Unit
United Kingdom.
Reference Release Code: GNC/3480/02/10
Kind Attention: Fund Beneficiary
I do not know if you have asked yourself why each time the release of this
fund is approved, all of a sudden, the payment will be stopped or one
problem or the other will come up. If you have not asked this question or
you do not know, this is an opportunity for me to tell you. I have finally
uncovered the reason why you have not received this payment. You are not
the legal beneficiary. You were asked to stand as the beneficiary and
provide a foreign account to receive the fund and afterwards the gains
will be shared between you and your Nigerian friends that introduced you
into the business. I know the source of the funds, although I am the only
person privileged to know this information and it is a fact.
Why I am making this clear to you is that I can see that you are still
making efforts spending money in order to conclude this project. Now
re-assure me that you will be willing to offer me the 30% of the fund and
that you will assist my personal assistant to establish a foreign account
in your country where my share will be lodged.
If you are ready to conclude this business with me, you can contact me
immediately on this telephone number +229 99 74 71 21 . so that we can
have chat over this issue once and for all so that we can move forward.
But if the reverse is the case, do not bother yourself to reach me.
I am presently in Republic of Benin monitoring United Nations approved
foreign payments and if you wish to contact me via my
e-mail: generalfrankcoyle@yahoo.com or you call me for further verbal
conversation regards to the success of your payment.
Regards
Gen.Frank Coyle
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