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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:
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- 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 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: "Mr Peter Udeme" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fdebtsettlementgov@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2016 03:15:57 -0500
Subject: Are You Dead Or Alife?
From Mr Peter Udeme
New Director,Foreign Debt Settlement Department
Federal Republic Of Nigeria
SIr,
This is to inform you that I have been mandated to contact you for
owed payment with our Government after my inauguration as the new
director for Foreign Debt settlement office of Federal Republic of
Nigeria. An approved sum of US$10.5Million has been directed to be
released to your account but action is on your payment file following
a change of account application filled in our office by your attorney
barrister Isa Williams of WILLIAMS CHAMBERS, THIS ACCOUNT CHANGE DID
NOT COME WITH VALID POWER OF ATTORNEY, so I decided contacting you
for proper confirmation of your new account as stated below:
NAME OF BANK: CITY STATE SAVINGS BANK
BRANCH: LIBERTAD BRANCH MANILA PHILIPPINES.
ACCOUNT NO.: 009-11-000609-7. A/C NAME: MONAHAN ROBERT
If there is no SWIFT reaction from you within the next 48hours, I will
have no other choice than to transfer your funds into your new account
as stated above with an assumption that you are aware of your new
account as submitted by your attorney. Contact me on receipt of this
message. You can call me on direct phone line: +234 8051509785
Best regards
Mr Peter Udeme
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Anti-fraud resources:
