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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "might come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million us dollars" (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)
- 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 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.
- law.mstanley@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Stanley" <law.mstanley@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2016 14:27:08 -0800
Subject: YOUR ATTENTION""
Greetings:
This letter might come to you as a surprise, due to the way I got your contact. I’m so pleased to confide this secret with you as long as you don’t betray me at the end. However, I’m Mr. Stanley K. Malcolm, a Legal Adviser, l have a record of an unclaimed Estate proceed left behind by a deceased Contractor who died with his family in an Afriqiyah Airways Airbus 330 crashes while trying to land near Tripoli airport Libya in 2010.
l am contacting you to seek for your co-operation to stand in as a possible intestate heir to the deceased since you share the same last name and there was no WILL or LAST TESTAMENT to the proceed of this Estate liquidated at $6.5Million US Dollars, it could be paid to you under my supervision for a mutual benefit before the Probate reference is revoked for a lack of Executor/Executrix.
If you agree to this confidential consultation l will advise on the program of work to expedite this claim through a legitimate arrangement avoiding all risks and hurdles’ I can be reached on my private Email: law.mstanley@gmail.com. I look forward to hear from you soon.
Kind Regards,
Mr. Stanley K. Malcolm (ESQ).
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Anti-fraud resources: