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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:
- "money laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
- "hundred thousand great british pounds" (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)
- "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- morganalex363@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: info@london.com
Reply-To: morganalex363@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 06 Jul 2015 12:01:39 -0700
Subject: my subject
Hello, although you may not know me and this email came as a surprise to you at this time of the year. I am Mark Carney the new appointed chairman of the Bank of England. There is a sum of Twenty Million Six Hundred Thousand Great British Pounds in my bank and there are no beneficiaries stated concerning these funds and no one would ever come forward to claim it, i seek for your assistance to transfer the money to your bank account in your country so that we can divide the money between us and also invest some part on other areas of business, there is no risk involved in this transaction, we will share it in a ratio of 60% for me, 40% for you, this is not money laundering
There is 100% no risk involved in this transaction and transfer guaranteed.
Please reply to my private email (morganalex363@gmail.com)
Regards.
Mark Carney
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Anti-fraud resources:
