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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:
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Habiba Gouda" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <habibagouda1@voila.fr>
Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2012 11:21:02 +0100
Subject: Hello
Hello
My name is Habiba Gouda, married to late Mr. Islas Yousef Gouda. My late husband invested heavily in coffee and cocoa which is the major source of revenue in this country. But trouble began when my late husband's business partners got envious and began to suspect that he is not giving proper accounts of all the tonnes of coffee and cocoa being produced by local farmers in some villages.
As a result of this and the envy on the wealth, they conspired with the rebel and assassinated him during the heat of the civil war in this country last year. He was killed when the rebels overran the West of the country where we took refuge. After they killed him and the entire family with many other villagers in the massacre, I followed other people and fled with my our only daughter to a refugee camp in the border town between Cote'd'ivoire and Ghana until the end of the war. But before the start of the war, he has a deposit of three million, five hundred thousand United State dollars in a bank here in Cote d'Ivoire which we could have used to travel abroad and flee the war but because of banks closure without notice well before the start of the war. We were unable to withdraw the money hence our reason for staying behind. This money was to be used for the establishment of new farms.
But i have decided to donate some of this money to charity after i learned from my doctor that i am going to live for few time since i am suffering from a terminal illness, acute myeloid leukemia. I took this decision knowing quiet well that I have a child that will inherit this money but she cannot carry out this work because she is still a child of 17years.I will want you to help me receive this money in your account and use it according to the instructions i will give you later.
I will reward you abundantly because every good work has a reward. As soon as I receive your reply I will give you other details. I will also issue you a letter of authority that will empower you as the new beneficiary of this money.
I wait for your reply.
Sincerely.
Mrs. Habiba Gouda.
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