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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "transferred into your bank account" (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)
- "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)
- "there is no risk involved" (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: Abudu Hassan <abudu_hassan@voila.fr>
Reply-To: abudu.hassan000@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2012 13:59:58 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: UREGENT RESPONSE
Dear friend,
I am Abudu Hassan, manager auditing and accounting department Bank of Africa Ouagadougou Burkina Faso.
My purpose of contacting you is for you to collaborate with me in this transaction because it is not easy for me to handle this transaction alone as the next of kin to the deceased customer MR ANDREAS SCHRANNER who died along with his family in a plane crash July 31sth 2000 and left no one to claim his deposit with Bank of Africa here in Burkina Faso, West Africa .
Let me solicit for your confidence and trust in this transaction as it is legal , i have taken all necessary arrangement here before contacting you in order to ensure that this funds is successfully claim and move to you from Burkina Faso without implications, so i implore you to comply with me to enable us mutually undertake this prospects .
The total amount deposited by our late customer is Ten million five hundred thousand United state dollars ($10.5 million USD) and we shall share the funds in a mutual understanding of 40 % for you while 60% will be for me, my 60% will remain in your bank account pending on my arrival in your country and I shall invest with my own share in your country as soon as the fund is transferred into your bank account. I assure you that there is no risk involved in this transaction and also all the deceased customer information are with me to back up your claim. Now upon your request i shall send to you the bank text of application which you shall fill and forward to our bank.
You should contact me immidiately as soon as you receive this
message
Thanks for your co-operation.
Your sincerely
MR ABUDU HASSAN
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