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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.
- 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.
- zeinahalaa@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Zeinah Alaa" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <zeinahalaa@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2017 12:54:52 -0700
Subject: Urgent and honest help
Salam,
I want use this medium as the only means available to me to request for your urgent and honest help.
I am in Syria with my two daughters here in Alepo Syria.
I want to also move the funds which my husband made from the Crude and Bureau De change business.I will not hesitate to share the funds with you 70% for me and my kids and 30% for your kind help.
I want to leave Syria urgently, save my kids from the trauma and the hard earned money.
My husband died in the Air Strike 8 months ago.
Please I need your help very urgently.
Contact me on this email address: zeinahalaa@yahoo.com
Yours
Mrs. Zeinah Alaa
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Anti-fraud resources:
