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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:
- "dearest one," (a common phrase found 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: "Folade Mutota" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <folademutota@ymail.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:33:23 -0000
Subject: with code = hospital
Dearest one,
This is the grace of Almighty God I was able to write this email and hope that this message finds you in good faith. Please, the topic of this message (code = hospital) to be aware that every message without this subject will not be reply, for safety reasons.
I write from the hospital in Ivory Coast and my name is Ms. Folade Mutota of Trinidad and Tobago. This mail is very urgent that you can see that I'll probably am dying in the hospital. I was poisoned and have damaged the liver and was told by the doctors that i will only live for months meanwhile I have a substantial concealed capital; honorably inherited from my late father and I cannot think of someone trying to kill me apart from my step mother as to inherit the substantial concealed capital she is a nationality of Ivory Coast.
So now I need your assistance in the followings.
I want you to assist me in getting my servant out of this place and if possible relocate me in one of the good hospital in your country to further my treatment. Do replies me if you can be of help to us so i will give you the telephone and e-mail of my servant after your reply to this message to enable you contact him immediately. His name is Augustin maranatha and he lived with my family for many years and i trusted him so much and promised to help him in life because he is an orphan and I'll give his email address and telephone number upon your acceptance to help us.
As soon as you contact him, he will send all necessary documents related to the fund in the bank and also give you a contact of well-known lawyer whom I have appointed to help you edit the documents of funds to your name as the next beneficiary and he will as well submit the documents to the bank to enable the transfer of the fund to your bank account Or any account will provide.
Note; this should be a code between you and Augustin in all e-mail communication Hospital must be the subject. any mail message without this code "Hospital" do not reply because my step mother is monitoring me and Augustin and if she finds out that we are in communication with you she might decided to contact you so without this code do not reply meanwhile I don't know what will happen to me in the next few hours.
The lawyer's name is Mc Lambert Adams and he will help in getting all the documents changed to your name to enable the bank to transfer the fund. And Let Augustin sends you his international passport to be sure of whom you are dealing with. Augustin is so little therefore guide him.
And I am looking forward to hear from you, May God bless you and use you to accomplish my wish.
Pray for me always.
Ms. Folade Mutota.
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