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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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "million 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)
- 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.
- edem555@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: ANDREW EDE <luckmenkwa@gmail.com>
Reply-To: edem555@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2018 18:45:02 +0300
Subject: CAN YOU WORK WITH US?
Dear Sir/Madam
Good day.
My reason of contacting you is that I and my colleagues working with
our country’s National Petroleum Corporation want to build or buy a
modern crude oil refinery in any part of the world.
We can buy land and build one or we can buy any existing one anywhere
outside Africa. We will make you our foreign partner with some
percentage shareholding if you will be interested and capable to
partnership with us.
We have positioned the sum of ($600 Million dollars) Six Hundred
Million Dollars for the project. This amount ($600 Million Dollars) is
coming by means of FOREIGN CONTRACT PURCHASE FUND in which we are
going to explain to you what we meant by FOREIGN CONTRACT PURCHASE
FUND as soon as we hear from you for better understanding.
However, if you are not capable to handle this project with us, kindly
connect us to capable person or company that would handle the project
together with us, so as to enable us proceed from there for swift
completion.
We hope to hear from you in no distance time immediately you read this
mail through edem555@hotmail.com for instant communication and the way
forward
With respect
Best Regards
Andrew Ede and Co
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Anti-fraud resources:
