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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:
- "million pounds" (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)
- "uksport.gf@ozu.es" (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: "LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC GAMES" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <UKSPORT.GF@OZU.ES>
Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:08:36 +0800
Subject: LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC GAMES
Uk Sport,40 Bernard Str.
WC1N 1ST,London.
LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC GAMES
The UK Sports Lottery released today your email as beneficiary to merit £2.2 million Pounds in this year London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.The International Olympic Committee for its comprehensive programme choose you as the final batch.
To this urgent and official notice you've being instructed to keep this security key(uks-39klv71) private and provide to the International Olympic Committee(IOC) Personnel Dr. Gary Fletcher via email address (uksport.gf@ozu.es).
Finally on no account should this security key(uks-39klv71) be disclosed.Further instructions shall be given once you provide the committee with this security key.
Congrats and welcome to this years sports games.
Regards,
Dr, Gilbert Felli
IOC Olympic Games Executive Director.
www.uksport.gov.uk/pages/world-class-events/
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Anti-fraud resources:
