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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:
- ",500,000" (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)
- "abidjan" (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.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs . Amira Kandel" <anna_kamani@yahoo.co.jp>
Reply-To: "Mrs . Amira Kandel" <kandelamira@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 06:21:12 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Dearest child of God.
Dearest child of God.
I am Mrs.Amira Kandel the wife of late Natan Kandel from Nepal but I am now in Abidjan Ivory Coast West Africa where my late husband worked with Nepal Embassy before he died last year 2013.I want you to claim this U$2,500,000,00 for the help of orphans,widows and the less privileges as my late husband deposited the money with my name before his death and my doctor have confirmed that I have few months to live because of my cancer and stroke sickness and I have no child to inherit this money so I decide to use it to help the needies through you.Let me hear from you as to enable me guide you on how to claim the money.
Mrs.Kandel.
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Anti-fraud resources:
