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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:
- "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- 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.
- roland.rosemary@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Rose Mary Roland" <epc.gha@gmail.com>
Reply-To: rosemarry01@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 10:14:57 +0000
Subject: GET BACK TO ME.
Dearest in Christ,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; I am Mrs Rose Mary Roland
an aging widow suffering from long time illness. I am currently admitted
in a private hospital here in Accra the capital city of Ghana I have some
funds I inherited from my late loving husband Late Mr. Johnson Roland, the
sum of US$2.5 Million (Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) which he
deposited in a BANK here and I need a very honest and God fearing Christian
that can use this funds for God's work and 20% out of the total funds will
be for your compensation for doing this work of God and You will give my
lawyer 10% of the total fund after receiving the fund in your account.
Kindly furnish me your full name and your address also your contact number,
so that I will prepare all relevant documents with the assistance of our
family lawyer to effect the release of the fund to you. Please if you would
be able to use these funds for the Lord's work kindly reply me.
Yours Sister in the Lord,
Mrs Rose Mary Roland
Email: roland.rosemary@yahoo.com
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