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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:
- "million united states 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)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- 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.
- mrnelson_anthony@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Mr Nelson Anthony <barrester.wilson.o.williams@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrnelson_anthony@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2014 18:16:44 +0000
Subject: Bank Project From Mr Anthony .K . Nelson
Bank Project From Mr Anthony .K . Nelson
Abidjan Cote D'Ivoire in West Africa
Dearest Sir / Madam
I got your contact during my search for a reliable,honest and a trust worth
person to entrust this huge transfer project with My name is Mr Anthony .k.
Nelson, Branch manager of a financial institution here in Cote d'Ivoire . I
am a Ghanaian married with two kids.
I am writing to solicit your assistance in the transfer of $
7,597.864.00Million United States dollars only. This fund is the
excess of what my
branch in which am the manager made as profit during the 2005 financial
year.
I have already submitted annual report for that year to my head office here
in Abidjan Cote diIvoire as I have watched with keen interest as they will
never know of this excess I have since, placed this amount of $
7,597.864.00Million United States dollars only to an Escrow Coded
account without a
beneficiary (anonymous) to avoid trace
As an officer of the bank, I cannot be directly connected to this money due
to civil service code which formits civil servants from owing or operating
foreign currency account coupled with the fact that the fund is huge thus I
am impelled to request for your assistance to receive this money into your
bank account on my behalf
I intend to part 30% of this fund to you while 70% shall be for me. I do
need to stress that there are practically no risk involved in this. It's
going to be a bank-to-bank transfer. All I need from you is to stand as the
original depositor of this fund so that the fund can be legally processed
to your name and be transferred to your account.
Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I Stated herein.Awaiting
your willingness for further details.REPLY TO MY PRIVATE EMAIL:
mrnelson_anthony@yahoo.com
Regards
Mr Anthony Nelson
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