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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "keep it confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "my direct line" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "drpaul2002@yeah.net" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- "drpaul2002@yeah.net" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
Fraud email example:
From: "Dr. Paul Dimka" <info@ipnet.ua>
Reply-To: drpaul2002@yeah.net
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2016 12:26:12 +0100
Subject: Claim Your Usd$2.5 Million
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<pre> From The Desk of Dr.
Paul Dimka
IMF
Representative/Consultant
Rue: 875 Cotonou, Republic
Du Benin
{ drpaul2002@yeah.net }
Phone: +229-63-20-68-94
Attn: My Dear
I am Dr. Paul Dimka of International Monetary Fund department {IMF} I
write to bring to your notice that through our computer monitoring
gadget cum network, we received an active signal from the World Bank
affiliates office regards your unresolved payment to be released to you
legitimately.
The said payment was approved accordingly but was wrongly diverted by
corrupt Government officials and bankers. This information was received
last week and on Friday, my office received directly from the office of
the newly elected president of Benin Republic in the person of Patrice
Talon to contact you accordingly.
I await to hear from you urgently so that we shall deliberate on how you
will receive the approved Usd$2.5 Million United States dollars only
without delay. For you to receive this payment, you must keep it
confidential and confide in my office and person to avoid problem.
I will educate you properly on the modus oprandi and approved legit
method so that you will get payment released to you and say goodbye to
your financial constraints.
Call me on my direct line on confirmation of this message so that our
correspondence will rhyme
Email { drpaul2002@yeah.net }
Call me on: +229-63-20-68-94
Regards
Dr. Paul Dimka
IMF Representative/Consultant
Cotonou, Republic Du Benin
</pre>
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