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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- 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.
Fraud email example:
From: John Mochu <mr.johnmochu@gmail.com>
Reply-To: John Mochu <wanderojugba@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 17:59:29 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Investment
 Compliment of the season my dear friend,Â
I hope that my proposal will not affect your believes or religion; I am Mr. John Mochu from Benin Republic, West Africa. I have no option than to contact you on trust and confidence for this business deal as it requires a team-work with a foreign partner more especially as you bear the same last name with the client.Â
I represented a client who passed on due to accident and I believe with your assistance and for the reason that you share the same last name with my client, we can receive the investments/deposits of my deceased client (Fourty Five Million Six Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which he left in Firm before his death.Â
Hence i am inviting you for a business deal where this money can be claim from our bank here because they are planning to convert the amount into the bank treasury which is according to our banking laws and I do not want that to happen. Because I know that this money will change the life of a lot of less privileged people instead of being converted into the bank treasury.Â
If you agree to my business proposal, you should send my e-mail to my private e-mail; (johnmochu@lenta.ru) and my telephone number is; +229 9409 2616. Further details of the business will be forwarded to you as soon as i receive your return mail.Â
Please contact me if you can handle this kind of business, we do not consider age or sex in this kind of business, what matters to me is someone who can keep secret and follows instructions. I am hoping to hear from you soon.Â
Yours sincerelyÂ
Mr. John Mochu
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