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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:
- "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "chief auditor" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- jameskojoa@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: James Kojo <jameskojo02@gmail.com>
Reply-To: jameskojoa@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2016 13:26:22 +0100
Subject: Hello....
Good day ,
I got your profile and decided to write you for an important and
confidential business proposal. My name is (Mr. James Kojo ) From
Togo.
It's Just my urgent need for a foreign partner that led to my
contacting you about this transaction. I am a banker by profession
and currently
holding the post of a chief auditor in our Bank.
I need a foreign partner who will support me because i cannot claim
this money without a foreign partner since the deceased client (the
owner of the
fund) was a foreigner. This fund ($9.5 million USD) will be shared
between us in the ratio of 60/40.I agreed that 40% of this money will
be for you as
a respect to the provision of a foreign account while 60% will be for
me and I want to assure you that this transaction is absolutely legal
and risk free since i works in this bank and i have all the necessary
information
that might be needed.
Before we proceed, i would like to know your ability to handle this
fund over there in your country. Kindly update me with the following
information
because i will want to know you more before we proceed on this transaction.
Hope you will understand the importance of this request.
1. Your full name.......................
2. Your age/sex ..........................
3. your occupation ................
4. Your residential / Postal address ..................
5. Your private phone number ..................
6. Your fax number ...................
I will be waiting for your urgent response,Reply me at my private E_mail:
jameskojoa@hotmail.com
Thanks
Mr. James Kojo
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