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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:
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "contract award committee" (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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: "Dr.Timothy Okoh" <ana.representacoes@oi.com.br>
Reply-To: okohdrtim@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 09:13:05 -0800
Subject: KINDLY EMAIL ME BACK.
--
>From Dr.Timothy Okoh Director in charge of procurement and awards
of contracts in the Nigerian National petroleum corporation (N.N.P.C).
I wish to seek your genuine assistance in providing a foreign
bank account to transact the following business,hence as a senior
civil servant we are not permitted to open or operate overseas account.
Meanwhile when i was also the chairman contract award committee in
2011 and i colluded with a foreign company who we awarded the turn
around maintenance of port-Harcourt refinery in rivers state Nigeria
by inflating it with ($41.600,000 usd). Forty one million six hundred
thousand united state dollars.
The contract has long been completed and commissioned and the foreign firm
has been paid in full leaving the over invoiced sum in the central bank of
Nigeria escrow account.I have agreed to offer you 35% of the said sum
(US$41.600,000M) while 5% would be set-aside for me and you to incure
the expenses that we will make to an attorney which we are going to
hire to help us perfect the documentation regarding the said
funds in escrow account
so as to have all the legal rights over the funds to be transferred
smoothly without delay.
Finally 60% would be for me I would arrange to meet with you in your country for
the disbursement of funds on the agreed ratio when the money is finally remitted
to your account and then initiate my investments plans.If you wish to transact
this business with me kindly email me back with a brief history about yourself
and also with your bank details in other to meet with a lawyer immediately.
Best regard,
Dr.Timothy Okoh.
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