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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:
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
- 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.
Fraud email example:
From: MRS ROSE BANGURA <office@infobbbbbj.nl>
Reply-To: <mrsrosebangura@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2014 14:38:26 +0100
Subject: Thanks and Remain blessed.
--
Dearest friend
I am Mrs. Rose Bangura. A widow to late Mr. Bangura Peter, who worked
with Elf Petroleum Company in France for nine years before he died in
the year 2006. We were married for eleven years without a child. He died
after a brief illness that lasted for only four days. Since his death I
decided not to re-marry or get a child outside my matrimonial home. When
my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of 10.500.000.00. United
States dollars with a SECURITY-COMPANY in Benin Republic Presently this
money is still in the custody of the SECURITY-COMPANY in Benin.
Recently, my Doctor told me that I would not last for the next Eight
months due to cancer problem. Having known my condition I decided to
donate this money to you so that you will utilize this money the way I
am going to instruct herein.
I want you to use %80 percent of this money for Orphanages, Widows and
other peoples that need help and the remaining %20 percent will be for
your effort. I took this decision because I do not have any child that
will inherit this money and my husband relatives are not even good at
all because they are the one that are responsible for the death of my
husband in other to have all my late husband properties and I do not
want my husbands effort to be used by those that conspired for his
death.
As soon as I received your reply I shall give you the contact of the
SECURITY-COMPANY in Benin. I will procure all legal document necessary
for the transfer and also issue a letter of authorization to the
SECURITY-COMPANY that will prove you the present beneficiary of this
money.
Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.
Hoping to receive your response immediately, I cannot predict what will
be my fate by the time you will receive the money, but you should please
ensure that the money is used as i have described above.
Thanks and Remain blessed.
Mrs. Rose Bangura.
University Teaching Hospital
Benin Republic.
+229-687-722-24
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