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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:
- "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.
- stewardmcdonald014@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Steward Mcdonald" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <stewardmcdonald014@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2016 20:11:30 +0800
Subject: Greetings
Greetings,
I am the Director Finance of Falkland oil and Gas marketing company UK, and by the virtue, as the Chief Financial Officer. I got your contact through a web directory search and decided to propose this mutually beneficial oppotunity thus i seek your assistance to receive the stated amount of €45.000000 (Forty Five Million Euros) to you for investment purposes.
SOURCE OF THE FUND:
The fund to be transferred for your safe keeping was accrued from an (OVER-INVOCIED) contract amount awarded for servicing of our depot and valves and installation of 12 kilometer underwater gas pipe line also storage of product across our locations here in The United Kingdom and its european affiliates.
Contracts were awarded to the tune of one hundred and seventy two million Euros (€172.000000) of which (€45.000000) represents the above statement hence my contact to you if we can reach a mutual and benefical understanding.
The original contractors who executed the jobs are now been processed for payment.
DISBURSEMENT:
I have resolved that you take 30% of the total sun for your assistance in fronting you as a sub-contractor,furthermore an additional 5% has been set aside for any miscellinious expenses incurred during the process of obtaining the above mentioned monies.
65% will be my share of the above stated monies.
I must state that to achieve this will not be possible without your assistance,also be informed we have a timeline of 60 days before the contract will be brought again before a contract review board
SECURITY:
All modalities to effect the payment of this money has been worked out, this transaction is 100% risk free having said that i strongly advice we treat this with the utmost privacy it deserves.
Upon your acceptance kindly send to me your personal details and your direct phone number for speedy correspondence.
I am looking forward to doing business with you.
Your prompt reply will be highly appreciated.
Please send all response to the email address stewardmcdonald014@gmail.com
Yours Faithfully
Steward Mcdonald
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