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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:
- "million 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)
- "attorneys " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- henry_ngcobo@yahoo.es (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "ADV. Henry Ngcobo" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ngcobo_henry@yahoo.se>
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:55:08 -0700
Subject: GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU
ADV. Henry Ngcobo
FOW ATTORNEYS
31 Arterial Road West, Oriel,
Santon Johannesburg South Africa
Tel: +27-78-128-1967
Email: henry_ngcobo@yahoo.es
Good Day
i am ADV.Henry Ngcobo from FOW ATTORNEYS SOUTH AFRICA i am attorney in charge of legal
department of FOW SECURITY AND PROJECTS in Johannesburg south Africa. a company based in
taking care of investors assets and management in south Africa.
Yesterday i find out that one of the boxes deposited in this company contains money and the depositor is
dead, the amount containing in the box according to the depository agreement between this company
and the depositor is US$13.5 Million dollars.
Now i have concluded a smooth arrangement to move this money out of this company but i cannot do it
completely without presenting a foreigner as the next of kin/business partner of the dead depositor, on
the depository agreement the depositor mentioned that the money in question belong to her business
partner oversea.
The only person in position to claim this money is anybody from outside South Africa that I can present to
the company as the partner of the former owner, i am ready to share this money with you 50/50 that is 50%
for you and 50% for me. Please get back to me as soon as possible so that i can give you more details,
we can get this money out to your account within 72hours.
Kindly reply with your contact details
Thanks and God bless you
ADV. Henry Ngcobo
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