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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
- This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
- 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.
- johnmarkk0@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: sponsor@mana.com.mx
Reply-To: johnmarkk0@yahoo.fr
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2016 02:14:30 -0600
Subject: COMPENSATION
HEADQUARTER :10084 BP AKPAKPA COTONOU
BENIN REPUBLIC,WEST AFRICAN.
TELETEXT:+229 9390 7715
12/2 /2016
Dear friend,
I am obliged to inform you that our Government Federal republic of Benin {FRB}
has mapped out the total sum of $800.000.00 from the compensation Office for
all your past efforts and attempts to assist us in transferring those funds
despite that it failed us somehow Now contact our payment secretary Office in
Cotonou Benin republic to receive your compensation funds.
Contact person: name is Mr.John Mark, his email address is (johnmarkk0@yahoo.fr
) ask him to send you the total $800.000.00 bank draft or bytransfering into
your private or company bank account of your choice.We appreciated your efforts
at that time very much.So feel free and get in touched with the secretary
officer Mr.John Mark and instruct him where to send the amount to you.
Please do let our
department know immediately you receive it so that we can keep the records
properly.Remember that we had forwarded instruction to the secretary office on
your behalf,so feel free to contact him now to enable him send your money to you
without any delay.
My regards to you and your
Mr.Cicej Vasja
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Anti-fraud resources:
