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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)
- "million us 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 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.
- madamzinabh@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: " Zinab Hassan" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <madamzinabhn@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 16:05:14 +0100
Subject: From Madam Zinab Please get back to me immediately
Dear Friend,
I hope my mail will fine you and your family in good health. My name
is Zinab Hassan, i know it will be a big surprise for you to receive
my email but please i beg you and i swear to the Allah i worship that
what am telling you is not a joke, if you follow everything i have
said in my letter both of us will be happy for the rest of our life.
I am from Libya and my husband is one of the late Gaddafi sons driver.
it was my husband who took Gaddafi family to Niger and Algeria when
they ran from Libya. but he came back to Libya and died when their
convoy was hit by NATO bomb. but he told me something very important
when he was alive. he told me how he took some money from Gaddafi son
and kept it in a secret place. He said the money is in Us Dollars
10.5 million Us Dollars and all kept in a big suitcase kept in a
secret hide out. and also 86 kilos of gold which he kept somewhere
else. I will want to give you information about all what am saying
because seeing is believing. i am presently out of Libya because we
ran out during the war.
Why am written you is because i want you to take ownership of the
funds and gold which my husband kept because if people knows that it
belongs to my late husband they will size it and report to the Libyan
government. my husband fight and died for his master so please i have
to keep everything secret until i hear from you. and please all what
am saying is just known by the both of us and nobody else.
I have 4 children for my husband and nothing to feed them here until i
can get hold of what i just told you but i still have to be very
carefully not to lose the money or the gold. i will give you 20% of
the fund if you will assist me. I will tell you how you can receive
the money and the gold when i hear from you. also every other details
will be given when i see your seriousness to help us receive the both
items. please send me your direct details and phone number so we can
talk. my first son speak English very well. please reply with your
information. I also want you to know that the money and the gold are
not in Libya both of them are kept in different countries. i will let
you know the countries as soon as i hear from you, i will wait for
your response.
Please get back to me on my private email address; madamzinabh@gmail.com
your truly
Madam Zinab
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