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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:
- "fund beneficiary" (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)
- 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.
- unitednatio.todd1@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "\"Mr. Todd A Hoffman\" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <unitednatio.todd1@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2017 07:43:53 -0700
Subject: Government Compensation Payment Alert !!!!!!
Dear Fund Beneficiary,
Can you tell me why you have not received your overdue funds of US$12 Million from the Nigerian Government? Since last three weeks the Presidency is set to revoke unclaimed fund which have been in the treasury account if the beneficiaries do not come claim it within the next one month.
Contact me and I will process your fund release order issue so that you can get paid as soon as possible on my private email: unitednatio.todd1@gmail.com
Regards,
Mr. Todd A Hoffman
Director,United Nation office Nigeria
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Anti-fraud resources:
