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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:
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Mrs Serah Shinn <chunchoru@yahoo.co.jp>
Reply-To: Mrs Serah Shinn <msserahh@outlook.fr>
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2014 04:05:08 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Dearest in the Lord ,
Dearest in the Lord ,
I am Mrs Serah Shinn from Korea and married to Dr. Lee Micheal Shinn who worked with United Nation Organisation (UN) in Ivory Coast before his surden death in the year 2010. We were happily married for 17 years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only few days.
Before his death we were both born again Christians. Since his death i decided not to remarry or get a child outside my matrimonial home which the Bible is against. When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of ($ 2.8Million) in a Finance firm here in Abidjan the Capital City of Ivory Coast.
Recently, My private Doctor and other goverment Doctors told me that i would not last for the next seven months due to cancer problem. Having known my condition i decided to donate this fund to a church or a God fearing person that will utilize this money the way i am going to instruct herein. I want a church or person that will use this fund for orphanages,widows,propagating the word of God and to endeavor that the house of God is maintained.
Just pray to God and read my letter very well and obey my directions i will bring the fund to you in your country without any problem only make out some time for God on this particular project.
Since is God who directed me to your contact i also believed that you can do the project is God work he will lead you because you are better than me now on health ground and i am well convince for you to stand on the truth to tell that you are a child of God and God have choose you for his work only come up on faith to receive this my charity donation fund in your home country.
Yours names/Your contact address/Your cellphone for the work of charity.
Thanks and God bless you,
Mrs.Serah Shinn
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Anti-fraud resources:
