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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:
- "foreign payment department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- 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.
- 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.
- robertmacaulay398@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Mr Robert Macaulay <bh@task.com.br>
Reply-To: macaulyrobert@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2015 19:50:01 -0300
Subject: URGENT REPLY.
--
Hello Dear,
My Name is Mr Robert Macaulay from London United Kingdom.
I am the Head of Computing Department & Finance Director of London
Barclays Bank Plc here in England.There is an account opened in this
bank in 1998 and since my inception into office on 2nd Jan 2009, I then
found this account and I've investigated deeply by contacting the
assigned signatory to the account and found out that the sole signatory
was an American who lived in England for over 55yrs and nobody has
operated on this account since after 2004. I took the courage to look
for a reliableand honest person who will be capable to handle the
materializing of this Deal, in order to transfer out this One Hundred
Million U.S Dollars out of this bank and country.
After going through some old files, I discovered that if I do not remit
this money out urgently, it will be forfeited for nothing and the London
Barclays Bank Plc
management will divert the funds to her accounts. Please respond
immediately and I will use my position and influence to effect legal
approval and onward transfer of
this fund into your account with appropriate clearance from foreign
payment department.
I will furnish you more details upon your reply.
You can call me directly on my private telephone number + 44 78319 26488
so that we can discuss more on how to transfer these funds into your
designated account.
Please kindly reply to my secured E-mail: robertmacaulay398@gmail.com
I look forward to your affirmative response.
Sincerely yours,
Mr Robert Macaulay
Tel No: + 44 78319 26488
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