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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:
- "necessary legal documents" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "million 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)
- "high court" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Michael Chitwood" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mchitwood@yeah.net>
Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 11:28:18 -0700
Subject: === { Business Proposal } === #JP
I am Mr Michael Chitwood a staff of Alliance Bank Group Plc. here in Malaysia attached in Private Banking Services, I contacted you as regards to a business proposal that will be of an immense benefit to both of us and the less privileged ones. Being the director of operations of this Regional office I discovered a sum of Thirty Five Million Dollars($35M) belonging to one of our foreign customers Late Muammar Gaddafi. He was the dictator and president of lybia and was killed by the citizens of his country.
You can get more information's as regards to the death of our customer Late Muammar Gaddafi on the site web address below if you copy and paste the link on your browser
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/muammar-gaddafi
The choice of contacting you aroused from the geographical nature of where you live particularly due to the sensitivity of the transaction and the confidentiality herein. Now our company has been waiting for any of the relatives to come-up for the claim of the inheritance fund but unfortunately all efforts has being void. I personally have been unsuccessful in locating neither the relatives nor any next of kin to Late Muammar Gaddafi. On this regards, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin / will beneficiary to the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at Thirty Five Million Dollars($35M) can be paid to you.
This will be disbursed or shared in these percentages 50% to me and 50% to you. I have secured all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up this claim we are about to make. All I need is to upload your names to the documents and legalize them at the Malaysia High Court in order to prove that you are the legitimate beneficiary at the bank where i work. All I require now is your honest co-operation; confidentiality and trust to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee you 100 % success and that this business transaction will be executed under the ambit of law and will also protect you from any breach of the contract.
Having gone through a methodical search, I decided to contact you hoping that you will find this proposal interesting. Please on your confirmation of this message and indicating your interest I will furnish you with more information's.
Your acceptance to this e-mail and business proposal will be highly appreciated.
Regards,
Mr Michael Chitwood
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