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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:
- "security keeping fee" (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. )
- "western union" (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. )
- "money gram" (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. )
- "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)
- "diplomatic agent" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
- 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.
- +447024087018 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
- 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.
- un.agent47@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Faith Anderson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <un.agent47@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2015 03:47:06 +0800
Subject: DHL Courier Company Reply Urgently
Attention Please,
Your fund has been packaged in a metal box since you can not afford to
receive it in the past via western union/money gram due to the
transfer charge fee and I decided to package the $2.5million USD in a
metal box which I registered with the DHL Courier as a box that
contained African clothes and jewelries.
I want you to contact the DHL Courier Company to know when they will
deliver your Consignment Box with registration code (GBE009GB). I have
paid for the delivering charges and insurance Fee. The only money you
have to send to them is their Security keeping fee which is $99
Dollars only to receive your Consignment Box I would have paid it for
you but they said no just because they don¡¯t know when you will
contact them so please feel free to contact them now to avoid delay
and demurrage.
Contact Person,DR. ALBERT DAVID. Director DHL courier Service Company
United Kindom. E-mail :(un.agent47@gmail.com) Phone number
(+447)024087018 try to contact them as soon as possible. Below is the
information you are required to send to them for safe delivery by
their diplomatic agent:
(1) Full name ===========
(2) Home Address: ==========
(3) Telephone: ============
(4) Age: ============
(5) Sex:===============
(6) A COPY OF YOUR PICTURE.
I have given them your address. And you have to reconfirm it to them
again to avoid any mistake on the delivering the box to you remember
that I only told the director the content and he advised me not to
disclose the content to any body including the delivery agent just for
the safety of the fund in the box make sure that you use this code as
the subject of the email you are sending to them (GBE009GB) Because
this will be an evidence to proof to them that you are the correct
owner of the box.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Faith Anderson
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Anti-fraud resources:
