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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:
- "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. )
- "million us dollars" (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 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 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.
- mrpetercruz678@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Mrs. Susan Wei" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrpetercruz678@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 14 May 2018 23:34:28 -0700
Subject: Contact Mr Peter Cruz Right Now.
Dear Beneficiary
I have paid the fee for your check draft and I took it to the UNITED BANK FOR
AFRICA (U.B.A. BANK) to confirm it then the Manager of the Bank MR MORRIS
WILLIAMS told me that before the check can get to you it will expire on the way
and if it expired it will become useless so He advice me to convert $5.5million
Us Dollars (FIVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) into an ATM VISA CARD
and deposit it in DHL COURIER COMPANY BENIN REPUBLIC to deliver it to you. and
I did it as he advice me because he is a banker he knows the durability of any
foreign check or draft.
I deposited the said package in the DHL COURIER COMPANY as an ENVELOP PACK for
security reasons. This is the registration Number of your Package
FDX/122p/mtm/2070 Zip Code;0113388 so do not let the company to know the real
contents of the ENVELOP PACKAGE so that they can deliver it for you safely. I
want you to contact the company immediately with the following information
though I give them your information but you need to re-confirm it for them.
Below is the required information you need to give them now,
1.YOUR FULL NAME AND HOME ADDRESS:
2.YOUR PHONE AND FAX NUMBER:
3.A COPY OF YOUR PHOTO
4.YOUR AGE AND MARITAL STATUS:
5.YOUR COUNTRY AND CITY:
6.YOUR OCCUPATION:
All these things is what they needed from you now to submit to the company for
urgent delivery of your package contains $5.5 million Us Dollars Please contact
the delivery company immediately and re-confirm your info to them to enable
their agent locate you when he arrived in your country.This is the company
contact info.
NOTE: the only fee you will be ask to pay by the delivery company is the
security keeping fee, the reason is that we don't no when you are to contact
DHL for the delivery of your ATM VISA CARD, U.B.A BANK Director MR MORRIS
WILLIAMS has already discoursed with the DHL Director Re-guiding the fee.the
amount is $120 only and that is the amount the director finished with them.
Also ask Mr Peter Cruz to send you the information you are to use to send the
money today.
Mr Peter Cruz (Director General)
Email:(EMAIL: mrpetercruz678@gmail.com)
DHL EXPRESS COURIER COMPANY BENIN REPUBLIC. Please contact the company
immediately you receive this email so that your package will leave tonight to
be deliver to you.Get back to me as soon as you receive your package from the
company.
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS
Mrs. Susan Wei
Minister of finanace
BENIN REPUBLIC
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Anti-fraud resources:
