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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- 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.
- becky333bryan@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Mrs Becky Bryan <msjusticeadams30@gmail.com>
Reply-To: becky333bryan@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 9 Nov 2019 02:54:57 +0000
Subject: RE: URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL
Dear Friend,
Greetings from Mrs Becky Bryan. I have emailed you earlier without a
response from you. I am manager in auditing department with United
Bank for Africa (UBA) Burkina Faso. I discovered a dormant account
amounting to USD$6.3million dollar which belong to a deceased customer
of this bank. Late Moises Saba Masri, a billionaire Business Mogul a
Jew from Mexico who was a victim of a helicopter crash.
See site: ( http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3832556,00.html
).I shall give you further details about him upon receiving your
response.
I cannot do this transaction all alone without employing a foreigner
who will stand as the deceased next of kin as bank procedure demands.
By indicating your interest I shall send you the full details about
the deceased and on how this business will be executed. Please be
informed that your utmost confidentiality is required for smooth
transfer to your account. I await your urgent response. Please keep
this proposal as a top secret and delete if you are not interested.
Looking forward to receive your response. Reply to my private email
address ( becky333bryan@gmail.com )
Regards,
Mrs Becky Bryan
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