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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Mr.hassan Mohammad <hassam_mohao126@msn.com>
Reply-To: mr.hassanmohammad@voila.fr
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:19:57 +0200
Subject: I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE INTO THIS TRANSACTION
From Mr Hassan Mohammad
African Development Bank (ADB)
Ouagadougou Burkina Faso
My Dear Friend
I am Mr Hassan Mohammad a director in African Development Bank (ADB) Ouagadougou Burkina Faso, I got your email information through the Burkina's Chamber of Commerce and industry on foreign business relations here in Ouagadougou Burkina Faso I haven't disclose this deal to anybody.
I hoped that you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that i am about to establish with you for the mutual benefit of you and i. I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of ($10.5) millions dollars into your account within 14 working banking days. This money has been dormant for years in our bank without claim due to the owner of this fund died along with his entire family and supposed next of kin in an air crash since July 31st 2000.
I want our bank to release these funds to you as the nearest person to our deceased customer while i come over to your country to share this fund with you as soon as you confirm this fund into your account and ask me to come over. I don't want the money to go into our bank treasure as an abandoned fund. So this is the reason why i contacted you so that our bank will release this money to you as the next of kin to the deceased customer. Please i would like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not interesting.
Upon the receipt of your reply and indication of your capability, i will give you full details on how the business will be executed and also note that you will have 50% of the above mentioned sum if you agree to handle this business with me while the remaining 50% will be for me because i don't want anyone here in our bank to know my involvement until you confirm this fund into your account and ask me to come over for the sharing as i indicated.
If you agree to follow up this transaction with a full dedication due get back to me with this requested information below as I listed it:
1. Full Name: ..............
2. Telephone Numbers: .......
3. Your Age: ..........
4. Your Sex: .......
5. Your Occupation: ......
6. Your Country: ............
7. City: ...................
8. Your Home Address: .........
9. Marital Status: ..............
I am looking forward to hearing from you immediately,
Thanks with my best regards
Mr Hassan Mohammad
Tel: +226 78 83 26 95
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Anti-fraud resources:
