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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:
- "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.
Fraud email example:
From: Dan Ezeugo <steveben_111@live.com>
Reply-To: <dan_ezeugo_01@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2014 09:03:57 +0100
Subject: DID YOU PERMIT MR. COLE WANDA TO RECEIVE YOUR FUND AS YOUR NEXT OF
KIN?
Attn: Fund Recipients
Based on the meeting we have with United Nations and IMF officials on your payment, I writing to inform you that your files appeared on our desk to pay you a partial payment of 8 million US Dollars of your funds for this First quarter of the year.
But we are having misunderstanding because one Mr. Cole Wanda called yesterday that he is your new next of kin that you instructed him to receive the funds on your favor that you are totally sick and you cannot work or answer any calls.
But we were so confuse that is why the authority instructed me to contact you for us to know if he is telling us the truth or not.
He even forwarded this bank details to us.
Bank Name: Credit Union Na
Account Name: Mr. Cole Wanda.
Account number: 908374912
Swift code: cwd1u
After he provided this account to us, he instructed us not to inform you and we should transfer the funds into his account directly because he is your next of kin.
Kindly check this account and name if we can go ahead and transfer the funds into his account.
We wait to hear from you soon.
Don't keep us waiting for your own good.
Thanks.
Dan Ezeugo
Special Adviser to Mr. President
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Anti-fraud resources:
