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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:
- "huge amount of money" (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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Ms Paola Will <jntc_cl@yahoo.co.jp>
Reply-To: Ms Paola Will <mspaolawills@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2015 23:54:36 +0900 (JST)
Subject: REPLY URGENT
My Dear,
It is my pleasure to contact you for a business venture which I intend to establish in your country. Though I have not met with you before but I believe one has to risk in life in order to succeed sometimes in life.
I am Capt Paola Wills Also working as an accountant in the Kyrgyzstan defense Ministry, Hope I can confide on you for the confidentiality of this investment project? There is this huge amount of money (Eleven Million Six hundred thousand Euros, €11.600.000.00) generated from an over invoiced in the purchased of the Kyrgyzstan Military weapons  last year , Now I decided to invest these money in your country or anywhere safe enough for security and political reasons.
I want you to help me claim and retrieve this fund from the storage firm here in Kyrgyzstan where I have deposited it for safe keeping and to move it into your personal account in your country for investment purposes in your country.
If you can be of assistance to me I will be pleased to offer to you 10% of the total fund.
I await your soonest response
Capt Paola
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Anti-fraud resources:
