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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 next of kin scam.
- 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.
- richbutland147@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Richard Butland." <bill11acav@att.net>
Reply-To: "Richard Butland." <richbutland147@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2017 19:46:36 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Hello
This is a personal email directed to you and I request that it be treated as such. I must solicit your Confidentiality and assure you that I am contacting you in good faith and this proposal will be of mutual benefit. I am Richard Butland, a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney/sole executor to the late Mr. Allan, hereinafter referred to as my client who worked as an independent oil magnate in my country, who died in a car crash with his immediate family in East London on the 5th of November 2006, Please get back to me via email (richbutland147@gmail.com) for more details.
Regards.
Richard Butland
45 Priest gate
Peterborough
PE1 1LB
+44-752-062-6711
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Anti-fraud resources:
