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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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "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 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.
- mr.patrickholland@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "MR. PATRICK HOLLAND(BANK OF ENGLAND)" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <hollandmr.patrick@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 15 May 2013 09:31:11 -0000
Subject: *****NOTIFICATION OF YOUR FUND APPROVAL WITH BANK OF ENGLAND *****
Bank of England
Address: Threadneedle St, London, EC2R 8AH England
Fax: +44(0)843-265-7765
Dear Sir/Madam,
REF: - INSTRUCTION TO CREDIT YOUR ACCOUNT WITH THE SUM OF TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS. ($10,500.000.00)
This is to bring to your notice that we received an instruction letter from the British Finance Monitoring Unit London UK in Conjunction with the C.I.A and US Home-Land Security to credit your account with the valued payment of $10.5M(Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) with your fund approval code (X147/NYF468/ NY2013FT)
NB: Be informing that this transaction can be done either Bank to Bank Wire Transfer method or Via Online-Banking. To enable us proceed for this transaction, you are to get back to us with the information as listed below;
Information Required;
Full Legal Name:
Your Full Residential Address:
Telephone No:
Mobile No:
Yours in Service,
Mr. Patrick Holland
Bank of England
(mr.patrickholland@yahoo.com)
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Anti-fraud resources:
