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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 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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "msjoycemadu@qq.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Ms Joyce Willam Madu" <info@kiando.jp>
Reply-To: msjoycemadu@qq.com
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 23:36:22 -0700
Subject: my subject
Greetings,
Here is the message that I send to you. I am Joyce Willam Madu an African/American, I am writing you from Nigeria where my mother comes from my father was an oil merchant that export crude oil from African oil producing countries to the United States where he refine them for sale.
After the brutal murder of my parents during the war crisis by Niger delta Militant in Niger Delta states of Nigeria. I need your assistance to secure my inheritance and adopt me like your daughter by going to get me out from Nigeria where I am staying now with my mother brother who has been treating me bad because there native culture since I am a white girl please help.
It is because of the war crisis my father sold his company and deposit Five Million United States Dollars in a Bank which I am the only one who know about the fund after the death off my brother in a car accident in Nigeria early this year I need to run for my life before I die in Nigeria.
Please I am seeking for your urgent assistance to transfer this money to your country for good investment project so that I can relocate to your country to further my education study for my good future.
Anticipating your prompt response and I will give detail with my information and picture via Facebook.
Best regards,
Miss Joyce Willam Madu
msjoycemadu@qq.com
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Anti-fraud resources:
