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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "mtcn" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "the consignment" (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)
- "consignment " (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)
- "fund beneficiary" (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)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "cotonou" (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.
- +229 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
- 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.
- diplomat.harrmo229@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Diplomat Harrison Morris <officemail229@inbox.lv>
Reply-To: Diplomat Harrison Morris <diplomat.harrmo229@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 15:56:32 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Re: I Am At John F. Kennedy International Airport With Your Funds
(Get Back Soon)
 ATTN: Dear Friend/Fund Beneficiary.
I’m DIPLOMAT HARRISON MORRIS; I have been trying to reach you on your telephone number about an hour now just to inform you about my successful arrival in John F.Kennedy International Airport New York with your two boxes of consignment Box worth $1.5m One Million Five Hundred
Thousand Dollars which I have been instructed by ECOWAS COURIER DELIVERY COMPANY to be delivered to you as your long awaited compensation fund.
The Airport authority demanded for all the legal back up papers to prove to them that the fund is in no way related with drug nor fraud money, I have Presented the papers with me to them and they are very much pleased with the paper’s I presented but the only thing that is still keeping me here is the airport delivery Tag which is not placed on the boxes, one of the Airport Authority has advise that we get the delivery tag so that I can exit the airport immediately and make my delivery successful. I try to reason with them and they stated that the delivery tag will cost us just $125 Dollars only to get the two tag placed on the boxes as that tag will enable me get to your house
successfully without any interference, they scanned the boxes and found out that the fund is 100% spend able and accepted by any bank in the whole world.
Please try and reach me with my Cell phone number +1(914-573-5593) as I can not afford to spend more time here due to other delivery I have to take care of in Bangkok also I can accompany you to your bank were you will deposit the fund successfully with the document in my file also I have more vital paper with me but I can only present you the hard copy when I reach your house as that it’s the diplomatic rules, such as authorization to deliver to your give home address;
You can direct the tag fee of $125 dollars to our Head Office as they will get it here for you and they are entitled to receive and make any payment to foreign countries authority they will secured from our head office and sent over here to be placed on the consignment boxes so as
to enable me proceed to meet with you today.
Receiver MARK ZONGO.
Country Benin Republic .
City       Cotonou
Country Code 00229
Amount $ 125 US Dollars
Text Question. How Long?
Answer .........Today.
SENDER NAME
MTCN
Note: Endeavor to send me the name of the Nearest Airport to your city to avoid wrong flight booking also write me immediately through my most private email:{diplomat.harrmo229@gmail.com}
Regards,
Diplomat Harrison Morris.
(914)5735593
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