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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:
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- This email message is a orphan scam.
Fraud email example:
From: Amanda Alfred <posnermike13@gmail.com>
Reply-To: amandaalfred@centrum.sk
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2017 09:53:46 +0000
Subject: From Miss Amanda Alfred,
Dear love one,
Permit me to inform you of my desire of going into relationship with
you. I am quite aware that my message will come to you as a surprise
because it is indeed very strange for someone you have not met before
to contact you in this regard.
I am Miss Amanda Alfred the only Daughter of my late father Prof
Alfred Anderson was a very wealthy Cocoa merchant & Politician in
Abidjan , the economic capital of Ivory coast , my father was poisoned
to death by his business associates on one of their outings on a
business trip.
My mother died when I was a baby and since then my father took me so
special. Before the death of my father on October 2012 in a private
hospital here in Abidjan he secretly
called me on his bed side and told me that he has the sum of (ONE
MILLION & FIVE hundred thousand United State Dollars)USD ($1.5Million)
he deposited with a Private Finance/here in Abidjan-Ivory Coast, he
used my name as his only Daughter for the next of Kin He also
explained to me that it was because of this wealth that he was
poisoned by his business & Political associates.
That I should seek for a foreign relationship partner or fiancéé in a
country of my choice where I will transfer this money and use it for
investment purpose such as real estate or hotel management.
While i have decided to give you 20% percent in your help to me get
this fund in your country as my trusted love one weather we agree to
marry or not.
Anticipating to hear from you urgently.
Yours Sincerely,
Miss Amanda Alfred.
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