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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.
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: "Kim Hope" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <hopekim76@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2017 10:16:28 +0700
Subject: Good morning dear
Good morning dear..
I am Kim Hope personal Account officer to a deceased customer of our bank here in Cambodia from your country , due to my position I will need your co-operative assistance to move a certain fortune/funds of a deceased client who died on 14 of November 2011.
The Board of Directors of the bank resolved to turn the estate of the deceased over to Government pause having waited for too long without any of the deceased relatives/next of kin surfacing, and if this is done, the funds will end up to become Government property in-which the so called top political empire's will embezzle it, while we that labored in the office earn nothing.
I want to present you as the beneficiary of the deceased. I will use my position and influence in our bank to make sure they release this money to you for our mutual sharing. If I wait for days and did not hear from you, I shall look for another person.
Sincerely
Kim Hope.
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Anti-fraud resources:
