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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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "is 100% risk free" (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.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- +447086469363 (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.
- smithrbt@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Bar Robert Smith <jpudom@gmail.com>
Reply-To: smithlaws@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2015 15:41:50 +0700
Subject: REPRESENTATION INQUIRY
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Robert Smith & Associates
(Solicitors & Advocates)
Reply using Email: smithrbt@yahoo.co.uk
Phone:+447086469363
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am contacting you to use you to recover out this fund from the Bank
(Name Witheld for security reasons) and invest it in your company
front lining you to the Bank as a co business partner of my Late
Depositor.
The transaction is 100% risk free as Bank Management knows very well
that I am the attorney to the late account holder when he was alive.
The amount involved is 16.8 million USD.
I await your urgent response for more details
Regards,
Robert Smith Esq
Attorney at law
Email:smithrbt@yahoo.co.uk
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Anti-fraud resources:
