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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:
- "good day friend" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Oidike Yousu <oidike_yousu60@msn.com>
Reply-To: you_oidike1@yahoo.fr
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:20:52 +0100
Subject: INEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE.
INEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE.
Good Day Friend
How are you and your family? I hope fine, it’s just my urgent need for foreign partner that made me to contact you for your assistance. I am a banker by profession in west Africa and currently holding the post of Director Auditing and Accounting unit of the bank.
I have the opportunity of transferring the left over funds ($11.6 million) of one of our bank clients who died in crash since seven years ago and none of his family member or relation has come for the claim, and now the bank is planning how to confiscate the fund since no one has come for the claim. Please I need your honest and humanity to execute this transaction under your kind control for the benefit of our both families.
Hence, I am inviting you for this deal I will offer you 40% of the amount mentioned above as my patina and the rest will be for me, please if you are sure that you are capable to handle this transaction and you are ready to assist me to execute this business with honest, the further details of the transfer will be forwarded to you as soon as i receive your return mail, have a great day.
For more clarification reply me back and please note that the claims is 100% risk free.
Tanks.
Mr Oidike Yousu.
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Anti-fraud resources:
