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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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:
- "hundred thousand us dollars" (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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- gloria.pesaga@yahoo.com.ph (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Gloria Pesaga <pesaga.gloria@yahoo.com.ph>
Reply-To: gloria.pesaga@yahoo.com.ph
Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2012 09:06:25 -0400
Subject: Greetings
In a brief I am Ms.Gloria Pesaga the only daughter of late Dr and Mrs
Samuel Pesaga I come from Chiweshe ward in Muzarabani, Mashonaland Central
province of Zimbabwe.My father was a very wealthy diamond merchant but was
killed along side with my Mum during a bloody crisis in Marange diamond
fields in eastern Zimbabwe.
I need your assistant to assist me come to your country and invest a
balance of Nine Million Eight hundred Thousand US Dollars
($9.800.000.00)which was found in my late father offshore business bank
account I was demanded by the Bank to provide a foreign investor as
trustee
on my behalf according to the agreement written by my late father not to
allow me invest this fund back in Zimbabwe.
Please keep this information to yourself and reply me in my private email
address
gloria.pesaga@yahoo.com.ph
Ms.Gloria Pesaga.
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Anti-fraud resources:
