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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:
- "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)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- 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.
- jamesentwistle626@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "JAMES F. ENTWISTLE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jamesentwistle626@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2016 04:37:09 -0500
Subject: U.S AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA
U.S AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA
PLOT 1075 DIPLOMATIC DRIVE
CENTRAL
DISTRICT AREA, ABUJA
ATTN: BENEFICIARY.
AN OFFICIAL MEETING WAS HELD WITH THE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA
AND MINISTER OF
FINANCE CONCERNING THE UNPAID AND UNCLAIMED FUNDS TO FOREIGN
BENEFICIARIES,I WAS VERY MUCH CONCERNED WHEN I DISCOVERED
THAT YOU HAVE
PAID MUCH MONEY AND YET HAVE NOT RECEIVE YOUR FUNDS.THIS IS
WHY I DECIDED
TO HELP.
I WILL BE COMING TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR AN OFFICIAL VISIT AND I
WILL COME
ALONG WITH YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX CONTAINING SUM OF $15.8
MILLION ALONG WITH
ME THROUGH UNITED STATES DIPLOMATIC MISSION TO THE COUNTRY.
BUT I WILL NOT
GO THROUGH CUSTOMS BECAUSE AS U.S AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA, AM
U.S GOVERNMENT
AGENT AND HAVE THE VETO POWER TO PASS THROUGH CUSTOMS. JUST
LIKE I HELPED
TWO PERSONS THAT RECEIVED THEIR FUNDS LAST YEAR 2015 THROUGH
FEDEX COURIER
SERVICE.
ENSURE YOU TRACK IT FIRST TO CONFIRM BY YOUR SELF AND
IMMEDIATELY AM
THROUGH WITH THE MEETINGS, I SHALL THEN PROCEED TO YOUR
HOME,OK. PLEASE
SEND YOUR INFORMATION AS REQUESTED BELOW:-
1. YOUR FULL NAME
2. CELL PHONE NUMBER
3. ADDRESS WHERE YOU WANT ME TO BRING THE PACKAGE).
4. OCCUPATION
YOU REALLY PAID MUCH IN REGARDS OF THE DELIVERY AND THAT'S
SURPRISED ME.
YOU ARE A VERY LUCKY AS I SHALL BE BRINGING IT MYSELF AND
NOTHING CAN STOP
ME.
AS SOON AS YOU SEND THE FEE MAKE SURE YOU SEND ME
THE PAYMENT INFORMATION.I SHALL SEND MY FLIGHT SCHEDULE TO
YOU.
ACCESS MY WEBSITE AND READ BIOGRAPHY:
http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/biography.html
EMAIL: (jamesentwistle626@gmail.com)
TRULY,
AMBASSADOR JAMES F. ENTWISTLE.
U.S AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA.
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Anti-fraud resources:
