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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:
- "hundred thousand 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)
- ",500,000" (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)
- "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 next of kin scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- benjaminezeife100@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: benjamin ezeife <benjaminezeife1@gmail.com>
Reply-To: benjaminezeife100@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2017 12:49:09 +0000
Subject: hope to hear from you
Hello Dear
My name is Barrister Benjamin Ezeife,a renowned Togo based
solicitors. I am writing in connection to My late client ,who
bears the same surname with you and left the sum of Ten million five
hundred thousand United States dollars($10,500,000) in a bank before
his death. I contacted you to seek your consent to present you to the
bank as a heir to my late client to enable the transfer of this fund
transfer to you. I would enlighten you on more details and
clarifications when i get positive response from you.
Barrister Benjamin Ezeife .(Esq)
Principal Attorney of Dominion Associates
Chambers Barristers & Solicitors
Public Notary Lome-TOGO West Africa
BTD/SORT-CD-00247901
Contact Phone.+228 90394021
Email (benjaminezeife100@gmail.com)
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Anti-fraud resources:
