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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:
- ",000,000" (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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: miss mariam ahmed <amina.ego@bluemail.org>
Date: 30 Mar 2012 23:17:45 +0200
Subject: Hello
Greetings.my name is miss mariam ahmed a 22years from abidjan coted'ivoire,i am the only child of late alhaji dr.hisseine ahmed who was the director of cocoa processing industry and agriculture there in our country before he was poisoned to death in 2009. my mother die early when i was still young.i am contacting you for assistance on fund transfer to your country which my father deposited before he die in april 2005, the sum of ten million Euro($10,000,000).he used my name as his only daughter in depositing this money.if you are willing to assist me please send me mail today i will tell you how you will help me in contacting security company where the money was deposited.my late fathers brothers are very wicked to me and chased me away from my fathers house and sold all my fathers properties.i fear that if the see me,they will definatly kill me this is why i want to come and stay in your country.before my father die he told me to be careful of these people that killed him or i look for sombody who will help me to go out of our country and God so kind,i was able to do so.my hope now is this money i want you to help me invest and do business with it and i live there and i go to school there after you recieve the money in your account.i am waiting for your urgent reply before i will contact another person for the same purpose because of my present condition in. i went to the bank to take some money there but the bank manager refuse he said that my father give them instruction not to give me the money until i am 30 or i present a guidean who will receive the money for me. this is why i contacted you.i will give you 20% of the money after all and 10% if any expenses on this transfer and another 15% to the motherless home. please contact me to let me know if you will help me or not.may allah bless you thanks
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