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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: pagos@todoelderecho.com
Reply-To: stevegrant013@btinternet.com
Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2014 13:26:14 +0530
Subject: Following the instruction
FROM THE DESK OF STEVE GRANT
(World Bank Representative Asia Region)
PAYING BANKERS
SWIFT CREDIT CARD PAYMENT SYSTEM
I am STEVE GRANT, a World Bank representative in Asia Region. We are going by series of petition received from International Body. In our serious investigation we found out that your inheritance fund was handled by our corresponding officer and after an extensive close door meeting with Board of Directors and other Stake holders in the Government & Subcommittees of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) it was resolved and agreed upon that your inheritance fund would be released on a special method of payment, which tag reads SWIFT CREDIT CARD. This method of payment is designed by the Government to avert fraud, perpetration or stoppage of funds by some agencies either through Anti Terrorist Certificates or other certificates. This Swift Credit Card would be issued to you upon meeting with the bank requirements.
This office has been mandated to take charge of the issuing of the SWIFT CREDIT CARD and your inheritance payment file should be passed to my desk for clarification. Upon clarification your file will be confirmed and the office will direct you on how to receive your overdue inheritance fund via SWIFT CREDIT CARD.
The SWIFT CREDIT CARD would be delivered to you via courier. In the light of this aforementioned you are required to furnish this office with the following information to avoid issuing the card with wrong information that is already submitted by your former representative.
You're Name:
Address:
Maiden's Name:
You're Next of Kin Name and your date of Birth:
Your telephone number and fax:
Scanned copy of Id proof:
This information would be used in opening of an account here. It's from here that the ATM would be used in issuing of The SWIFT CREDIT CARD in your favour with the credit card number and all your information inserted into the card. Upon completion of this issuing of the Credit Card it would be sent to you via courier to your residential address.
Urgently furnish this office with your contact information in order to reconfirm if it's in line with the one contained in our payment data. Be informed that your fund has been called back and it's now in suspense account here in our bank. A new account has to be opened in your name before the Swift Credit Card is issued.
We await an urgent response.
Yours Faithfully,
STEVE GRANT
OPERATOR
PAYING BANKER
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