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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:
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "foreign.payments@onet.eu" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Mansfield R. Knorr" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <foreign.payments@onet.eu>
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2019 03:48:53 -0700
Subject: THIS MESSAGE IS FOR YOU
THIS MESSAGE IS FOR YOU
International Monetary Fund (IMF
DATE.: 14/03/2019.
YOUR INHERITANCE FUNDS RELEASE.
This office is working on the instruction from the United States
Intelligence Community {USIC} British intelligence agencies {BIA} and
Canadian Intelligence Services {CIS} which had find out reasons why
you have not been paid your inheritnce money to the tune of $8.3
million dollars after all efforts you made. The Fund Release Documents
for the will was not signed by you nor by a lawyer as a your
representative . No bank all over the world disregard documents and
make any payment to you.
To serve you well and prompt. Contact Dr. Joan Lyndsay, at
International Monetary Fund Office E-mail:- foreign.payments@onet.eu
Your full names, address and telephone numbers including your cell
phone and Your bank details.
Thanking you .
Yours faithfully,
Mansfield R. Knorr
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Industriestrasse 47
6300 Zug, Switzerland
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Anti-fraud resources:
