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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:
- ",500,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- mrsgraceford@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Grace Ford" <mrsgraceford22@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrsgraceford@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2015 08:40:12 +0100
Subject: Hello Dearest Beloved in the Lord
Hello Dearest Beloved in the Lord,
Greeting and peace be upon you as you read this message, I know this
letter will come to you as a huge surprise, but I implore you to take
the time to go through it carefully as the decision you'll make will
go a long way to facilitate my peaceful repose and the manifestation
of my last wish. I am Mrs. Grace Ford an aging widow suffering from
long time chronic organ failure resulting from terminal cancer which
has left me paralyzed and bedridden for the past 3 years.
I was recently notified my late husband Mr. Terry Ford who died in the
Air France Flight 447 crash had an outstanding and unclaimed cash
deposit account worth the sum of US$5,500,000.00 whose deposit
documents bears my name as the next of kin and is presently facing
danger of being declared a dormant account and returned to the
government treasury.
My present state of health does not permit me to take any direct
action here and I do not wish to have the wealth of my late husband
end up in the hands of undeserving government officials. I need a very
honest and God fearing Christian who I can make the executor of my
WILL and have this unclaimed funds released to so it could be used for
charity works.
MY GREATEST WISH IS TO GIVE THIS FUNDS SECURED AND USED FOR CHARITY
WORKS.I choose you from the several email contacts presented to by the
nursing staff and after honest prayers to the LORD to bring me a
helper and I decided to contact you if you may be willing and
interested to handle these trust funds in good faith before anything
happens to me.
I am in urgent need of your cooperation and I believe a divine force
is driving me to contact you for this noble task; you must not fail me
and the millions of the poor people in our today's WORLD. This is my
legitimate inheritance and NOT stolen money and there are no dangers
involved as all is 100% RISK FREE with concrete legal proof.
Please if you would be able to cooperate with me as my legally
appointed executor of my last Will and Testament and ensure my
inheritance is put to good use benefiting the less privileged and
victims of natural disasters around the globe.
Yours Sister in the Lord
Mrs. Grace Ford.
Reply to my private email at mrsgraceford@hotmail.com
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