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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:
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a orphan scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Miss Sandrine Soro <sandriine_soro@yahoo.co.jp>
Reply-To: Miss Sandrine Soro <sandrine_soro@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 10:40:28 +0100 (BST)
Subject: From Miss Sandrine Soro
With my profound respect and humble submission I beg to state the following few lines for your kind consideration. I hope you will spare some of your valuable minutes to read the following appeal with sympathetic mind. I must confess that it is with great hope, joy and enthusiasm to write you this mail and I believe by faith it must surely find you in perfect health condition. my name is Sandrine Soro 19 years of age an ivoirean national but presently in one of the refugee camp here in Accra Ghana. My father was a gold and cocoa merchant based in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) he died as a result of the assassination carried out by the military loyal to president Laurent Gbagbo during the last presidential elections.
Before the death of my father on 24th of December 2010 in a private hospital in Abidjan. He secretly called me to his bedside and told me that he has a sum of US$7.5M (Seven Million five hundred thousand U.S.Dollars deposited in a Bank, he told me that he used my name as the next of kin when he deposited the money.
He advised me to seek for a foreign partner in a country of my choice either in Europe America Middle east or Asia where there is no war and transfer this money and use it for investment purpose such as expansion of existing business or real estate management.
For the above reasons, I need your assistance in the following ways:
1- To stand as my foreign investor and guardian.
2- To assist me in providing an account where this money can be transferred in your country.
3- To make arrangement for me to come over to your country to continue my education.
4- To help me invest this money into any good lucrative investment.
5- Above all to take me as your daughter.
I am willing to offer you 30% of the total sum as compensation for your effort after the successful transfer of this money to your account.
In regard to this If you are willing to assist me with sincere mind and fear of God let me know.
while waiting for your urgent reply. Thank you
Yours Sincerely
Miss Sandrine Soro
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