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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
Fraud email example:
From: " NIGERIA SENATE COMMITEE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <johnenohsenatecommitteee@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2017 04:38:42 -0700
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF JOHN OWAN ENOH
FROM THE DESK OF JOHN OWAN ENOH
CHAIRMAN SENATE COMMITEE ON FOREIGN DEBT PAYMENTS
SENATE CHAMBERS RM 127-129
2ND FLOOR APO QUATERS ABUJA.
ATTENTION,
Going by series of petition received from International Body on the way your inheritance fund was handled by our correspondence office
After Extensive close door meeting with Board of Directors and other Stakeholders in the Government, Subcommittees of the House Of Senate and
the House of Rep, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It was Resolved and Agreed upon that your Inheritance Fund would be released on a special method of payment, which tag Name Reads SWIFT CREDIT CARD This method of payment is designed by the Government to avert fraud perpetration or stoppage of fund by Some Agencies. Either Through Anti Terrorist Certificate or other certificates. This Swift Credit Card would be issued to you upon meeting with the Bank Requirement.
This office has Been Mandated to take charge of the Issuance of the SWIFT CREDIT CARD. And that your inheritance payment file should be passed to my desk for clarification. Upon Certification that your file is ok. This Office would direct you on how to receive your over due inheritance fund
via SWIFT CREDIT CARD. The SWIFT CREDIT CARD would be delivered to you via Courier.
In the light of this aforementioned, you are required to furnish this office with the following information.
Your Full Name:
Your Address.
Your Next of Kin Name and your date of Birth.
Your telephone number and fax
This Information’s would be used in opening of an account here. It’s from here that the ATM would be used in issuance of The SWIFT CREDITS CARD in your favor with the Credit card Number and all your information inserted into the card. Upon completion of this issuance of the Credit Card, It would be send to you via Courier to your residential Address.
Urgently furnish this office with your Contact information in order to reconfirm if it's in line with the one contained in our payment data.
Be informed that your fund has been called back and it's now in a suspense Account here in a prime Bank.
Waiting for an urgent response.
Yours Faithfully
John Owan Enoh
Committees chairman on Finance
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Anti-fraud resources:
