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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
- 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.
- mrsjabisadre58@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "HELP YOUR SELF AND HELP ME" (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2012 11:48:30 -0800
Subject: HELP YOUR SELF AND HELP ME
Dear Friend.
I sent you this message before and i don't know why i didn't get your respond. Dear. I’m sorry, you might not know me. I am Mrs. Sadre Sheikh Jabi, a citizen of Kuwait but currently admitted in the hospital here in London UK for my health treatment. I was married to Late Sheikh Jabir who was an oil explorer in Kuwait for twelve years before he died in the year 2009. We were married without a child and my husband died after a brief illness that lasted for only four days. Since his death I too have been battling with both Cancer and fibroid problems and was admitted in this hospital here in London for my health treatment since late 2007.
When my late Husband was alive working in Kuwait we transferred $8.Million to a BANK in UK to enable us travel to United Kingdom for our health treatment and stay but unfortunately my husband died before we can start coming to United Kingdom. My late husband and I were good Muslim and we have donated so much to Muslim communities in Kuwait and other Islamic communities around.
I am contacting you to help me carry out a donation program within the communities around you because my doctor told me that I will be having an operation within some days from today and my doctor said I may or might not survive it after the operation. On this condition, I have decided to donate this last funds of mine for God's work through you since i cannot leave this hospital for this purpose. If you will honestly distribute this money to my wishes, I will advise you to take %20 for carrying out this project on my behalf and distribute the remaining %80 to less privilege around your community. If you are willing to distribute the money, you should please reply me back so that i will inform my lawyer to contact you as my beneficiary whom my deposited $8.Million will be transferred to.
I want you to always pray for me. Until I hear from you through my email address here: (mrsjabisadre58@gmail.com)
Remain blessed,
Mrs. Sadre Sheikh Jabi
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