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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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.
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- eng.drramnamalik@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Dr.Raman Malik" <mrs.nancytnenad@gmail.com>
Reply-To: eng.drramnamalik@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 21:20:27 +0000
Subject: Re: I await your response
Do accept my greetings
I am Dr.Raman Malik, the Principal partner of Chris Odikpo
&Associates(a law firm). Though I do not know much about your area of
specialization but I have the authority of my client (a widow) to
invest the sum of $8.3M (USD) outside the shores of Africa. The money
was initially deposited with a bank here by her late husband.
The documents to that account have been handed over to me and I have
equally confirmed the availability of the fund with the bank and their
readiness to release the money as soon as we are ready for the
investment.My client will like part of the fund to be used in buying
her a good apartment in a not very cold location as she intends to
relocate finally out of Africa while the balance should be invested
into other areas that can guarantee a good profit on investment in a
short or long term basis with your assistance.
Though my client is not much in a good state of health at the moment
but she strongly believes that if she can get a better medical
attention in US, she will be well again but in the mean time, you are
to deal with me as her personal attorney as all relevant documents
relating to the deposit are in my custody.
In view of the pivotal role that you are expected to play in this
project, a reasonable percentage of the money has been earmarked as
your compensation from the investment fund either in cash or in shares
with the company to be set up.
Please let me have your thought on this and a brief introduction of
the area you think she can invest in as quickly as possible. kindly
contact me via my direct E-mail: eng.drramnamalik@gmail.com
Best regards,
Dr.Raman Malik
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