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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:
- 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:
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "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.
- 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.
- anthony.oke3@aol.com (AOL; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mr. Anthony Oke" <test9@businesspress.ee.tn>
Reply-To: <anthony.oke3@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2016 02:34:02 -0600
Subject: (Re: BUSINESS PROPOSAL!!!)
Email Address (anthony.oke3@aol.com)
Confidential Business Proposal!
I am Mr. Anthony Oke. I have a business proposal which will benefit both of us, The amount of money involved is (Thirty Five Million Great British Pounds) which i want to transfer from an abandoned account to your bank account; it is 100% risk free.
Upon the conclusion of this transaction, i accept that (50%) Fifty Percent will be for you in respect of all your assistance for this transaction and (50% ) Fifty - Percent will be for me being the pioneer of the business.
A lot of customers open private accounts with different Banks without the knowledge of their families and when they die, such money will be lost to the Bank unless someone comes to claim it.
This is how a lot of Bank Directors make so much money silently.
I will like you to provide immediately the below information's, to enable me use it and get you next of kin application form from my bank.
1.Full Name:......................
2.Full Address:...................
3.Telephone Number:...............
4.Country:........................
5.Occupation:.....................
6.Age:............................
7.Sex:............................
As soon as you reply through this private Email Address (anthony.oke3@aol.com),I will let you know the next steps and procedures and more details to follow in order to finalize this transaction immediately.
Please keep whatever information you get from me strictly confidential even if you decide not to participate in this transaction.
Yours faithfully,
Mr. Anthony Oke
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