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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:
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- 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.
- uncompensationofficeny@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "United Nations Payment Unit New York" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <uncompensationofficeny@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2016 14:04:12 -0700
Subject: $3.5M UN COMPENSATION PAYMENT/ARE YOU DEAD OR ALIVE???
UNITED NATIONS PAYMENT OFFICE
OFFICIAL PAYMENT UNIT.
Our Ref: UNO /UN/CTB
RELEASE CODE No: 0763
uncompensationofficeny@gmail.com
Attention Beneficiary;
SCAM VICTIMS COMPENSATION PAYMENT
Please be informed that your long awaited compensation funds payment in the tune
of $3.5M has finally been approved but it has also been brought to our notice that a
gentle man by the name Micheal laton has just forwarded a new banking details
claiming he is your next of kin and you are dead so here comes the big question:
Did you authorize the above mentioned name to claim your funds?
Are you truly dead or alive?
Is Michael Laton your next of kin?if no kindly reconfirm this information
and get back to us with the below information for verification as the wire will
be done within 48hours from this notice:
Your name:
Current home address:
Country:
Occupation:
Telephone Number:
Age:
Gender:
We await your urgent response so that we can proceed with your $3.5M payment.
Yours faithfully,
Rev Dr Johnson Williams
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Anti-fraud resources:
