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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:
- "you have to be fast" (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.
Fraud email example:
From: Marcel Alain de Souza <"DIP."@ivy.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: Marcel Alain de Souza <dir.ecowasinfo@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2017 02:29:14 +0900 (JST)
Subject: ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICA STATE (SCAM SCHEME)
With due respect.
This email is coming to you from Economic Community Of West Africa States (ECO-WAS) we are mailing to know why you refused to receive your victim payment of US$2.5MillionUSD which we signed on your behalf to receive from the united states IMF.
please be inform that your file was returned to us yesterday by Mr. Amos Wilson of the IMF department,
reports from the IMF states that you are not interested in making claim of this fund to be transferred to your account or be delivered to your home address in the time they ve contacted you.
my dear before this office will cancel and return your payment file to the headquarters of the economic community of west African states(ECO-WAS)
we will like to hear from you , what really happened and why you are not making claim of the fund , this will help us to know whether the IMF did what they are supposed to do
Please email back to explain why you have not received your payment so that we will know how to complete this transaction to you or to finally return the money to ECO-WAS Government purse, but you have to be fast on whatever you are doing because the condition of the transaction don`t need much delaying so email back immediately you receive this email and explain to us what the problem is, Thanks For Understanding.
Yours In Service
Hon. Dr.Marcel Alain de Souza
Phone...+22999376279
Director Economic Community Of West Africa States (ECO-WAS)
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Anti-fraud resources:
