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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:
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- 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.
- ipaymentoffice2016@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: sheila goodson <sheilagoodson11@gmail.com>
Reply-To: ipaymentoffice2016@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2018 08:54:00 -0700
Subject: United Nations Compensation Commission.
United Nations Compensation Commission.
Sir/Madam,
This mail serves as a listening ear to the victims of scam all over
the world. We have been having a meeting for the past 7 months which
ended 2 days ago with the secretary general of the United Nations
Organization. This message is to all the people that have been scammed
in any part of the world, the United Nations have agreed to compensate
them with the sum of US$350,000.00 This includes every foreign
contractors that may not have received their contract sum, and people
that have had an unfinished transaction or international businesses
that failed due to Government problems etc. We have a database of
victims and that is why we are contacting you. This has been
deliberated upon and is among our set of priorities in making the
world a better place. You are advised to contact Mr António Guterres.
Person to Contact Mr António Guterres
Email: ipaymentoffice2016@gmail.com
Good luck and kind regards,
Making the world a better place Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser,
Secretary (UNITED NATIONS). http://www.un.org/sg/
Thanks as we anticipates for your urgent reply.
FOR UN SECRETARY GENERAL
Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser
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Anti-fraud resources:
