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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.
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Linda Egohume" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <lindakery45@onet.pl>
Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2018 11:55:28 +0400
Subject: Accept sincere greetings please
Accept sincere greetings please.
I beg you treat this as a very very urgent issue. I don’t need anything from you but ONLY to save my life and future.
My parents were attending a wedding ceremony in the Northrn part of the country and had a fatal accident. Both died!. Since their death I have been getting all manner of bad treatment from his brothers. My uncle took all his properties and business. Their wives are even wearing my mom's clothes and this makes me cry always.
The reason am writing you is because my dad's bank refused to give me the money he had in the bank here which my name was put as the inheritor saying that I must reach 25 years before they give it to me unless older person stands for me and none of his brother know about this money.
Please I want you to stand as my father's relation, they will send you the money so I can come to your country and continue my education because if I stay more here they will kill me . You will hold all the money, just be paying my school fees and feeding. When you reply I will tell you the amount and we will discuss more for me to have more trust on you. I am 17 and the only child.
Sincerely
Linda Egohuwe
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Anti-fraud resources:
