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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:
- "dearest beloved one," (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand united states 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 orphan scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Rita Gnanzi <ritagnanzi@voila.fr>
Reply-To: gnanzirita999@yahoo.com
Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2012 13:43:34 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Dearest beloved one,
Dearest beloved one,
it is my pleasure to contact you for a business venture which I intend to establish in your country.
Though I have not met with you before but I believe, one has to risk confiding to someone sometimes to succeed in life.
There is this sum amount of Nine Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$9.500, 000.00) which my Late Father deposited in the bank before his sudden death.
Now I have decided to invest this money in your country or anywhere safe enough outside our country for security and political reasons.
I want you to help me claim and retrieve this money from the bank and transfer it into your personal account in your country for investment purposes on these areas:
(1.) Telecommunication.
(2.) The Transport Industry.
(3). Five Star Hotel, but you still come up with the business you know very well that can give us more profit.
I am honourably seeking your assistance in the following ways:
(1) To provide a bank account into which this money would be transferred (2) To serve as a guardian of this fund since I am an Orphan (3) To make arrangement for me to come over to your country to further my education and to secure a resident in your country.
If you can be of assistance to me I will be pleased to offer you 15% of the total fund.
Sincerely Yours,
Miss Rita
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Anti-fraud resources:
