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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:
- "cotonou" (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.
- 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.
- officialnotice1960@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "WILLIAMS AND KETZLER ESQ" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <officialnotice1960@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2016 17:13:18 +0300
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF WILLIAMS AND KETZLER ESQ.
rom the Desk of WILLIAMS AND KETZLER ESQ.
Principal Financial Attorney of Federation
Address; 47:/ Cadjeu cresent Cotonou du Benin Rep
Contact Telephone number 226-9678702
Contact E-mail. officialnotice1960@gmail.com
Attend. Beneficiary
I'm contacting you now because of a letter that brought to my office to sign the approval of the cancellation and changing of your name from earlier beneficiary of the uncompleted accrued- Interest/ compensation fund transaction that has been on your name here since years ago,
They also made me to know that you are no-more alive and that is the reason they decided to use Mrs. Vythiligam from Malaysia's new bank account that she agreed to open with the new appointed bank to retrieve the fund from the organization's escrow reserve account before transferring to her private bank account in Malaysia.
But as a Christian, I refused to sign such approval documents until i contacted you and find out if it is true that you are dead and that is the reason they wanted to use Mrs. Vythiligam New account she want to open that have affiliate to the organization's escrow reserve account to retrieve the fund on her name as new appointed beneficiary.
The letter they brought was from Ministry of Finance and Mr. John Morris name was listed as one of the directors that approved the payment to be divert to Mrs. Vythiligam hence you are therefore required to get in touch to me urgently if you are alive, but once i did not hear from you after four days from today, then i will confirm that you are truly dead and will sign the approval documents. immediately.
Waiting for your urgently response
Principal Financial Attorney of Federation
WILLIAMS AND KETZLER ESQ
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