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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "security keeping fee" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "trunk box" (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)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 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.
- upscouriersd@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: National Coordinator <upscouriersd@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2018 18:59:59 +0000
Subject: CLAIM YOUR FUNDS =?utf-8?b?V09SVEjigJlT?= SUM OF ($15 .5MILLION)
--
Attention beneficiary
I have been waiting for you since to come down here and pick your Bank
Draft but did not hear from you since that time. I went to the bank to
confirm whether the draft is getting close to expire and the director of
the bank told me that before the draft will get to your address that it
will expire. Then I told him to help me and cash the cashier bank draft of
($ 15.5 million) , Us Dollars to cash payment.
We have cashed your draft/cheque worth ($15 .5million) U.S.D your overdue
payments, due to the expiry. The money has been packaged and sealed with
UPS label on Trunk Box to ensure the safety of the content and deposited
with shipment of UPS courier service to deliver to you to avoid another
hoax as you were disappointed in the past. So you=E2=80=99re requested to c=
ontact
the UPS with your delivery address and your telephone numbers for the
delivery of your package contain $15.5 million U.S.D. Below is their
contact information.
But remember that the delivery charge has been paid but I did not pay
their official keeping fees since they refused. Because, the Reasons they
refusal is that they do not know when you will contact them. So try and
contact them immediately to avoid delay with the bellow information's. And
ask them the amount of t he security keeping fee. And don't hesitate to
comply with them.
Rev Ewele; Director General
UPS Delivery Company Benin Republic.
Contact E-mail address :(upscouriersd@gmail.com)
Tel Fax Phone +229-991-171-961
Here is the information needed to deliver your package box.
1)Your Full Name_____
2)Your Home Address_____
3)Your Occupation____
4)Your Telephone Number______
5)A Copy Of Your Picture____
6)Your Country_____
7)Your Closet Airport_______
Always remember to address the box as church evangelism Items because the
Courier Company does not know the really content of the package. Leta me
know once you receive the package so that we can Share the joy together.
Your's Sincerely
Dr Chukwu Emma,
National Coordinator Foreign Payment.
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