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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:
- "economic and financial crimes commission" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "(efcc)" (This name is often mentioned in money recovery scams (re-scam): the real EFCC does not contact victims to offer to get their money back because that is near impossible. )
- "lagos" (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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- igeria5@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: info@efcc.org
Reply-To: mr.ibrahimlamorde697@rocketmail.com
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 05:52:14 -0500
Subject: ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC)
ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC) How are you doing today? I =
want to bring to your notice about your fund payment ATM card the sum of 20=
Million Untied State Dollars from the ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMIS=
SION (EFCC), please you have to comply to us with your address information =
so that the delivery agent will contact you within 48hours. Please I want y=
ou to contact the info below so that your fund can get to you immediately, =
and how ever this is a very legitimate transaction please you have to compl=
y with every instructions given out to you so that you can get your fund wi=
thout wasting much time. Please get back with your information so that we c=
an contact you without wasting more time in this transaction. Full Name: Ho=
me Address: Country: City: State: Cell Number: Fax: Contact email:infoefccn=
igeria5@gmail.com Cell number: +2348186053140 Contact Address: Plot 15 Ojo =
Lagos State close 11 Please get back to me with more information along side=
your contact info so that the delivery agent will contact you at once have=
a wonderful day and God bless. Code 042204 Regards, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde
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Anti-fraud resources:
