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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:
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- This email message is a orphan 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.
- gabrielleinwilliams@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
Fraud email example:
From: Gabrielle Williams <michaelblake609@gmail.com>
Reply-To: gabryellewillyams@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2020 19:13:15 +0000
Subject: INVESTMENT PLANS
Hello,
First, accept my cordial love to you. I hope that you are well by the
Grace of God.
I am sending you this email to solicit for urgent assistance from you.
my name is Gabrielle Williams. I am 21 years old.
I lost my parents early last year, they were poisoned by family members,
and now the family members want to kill me at all cost so that they can
claim my inheritance and legacies my late parents bequeathed to me.
I’m now in a hiding place just to protect my life and to be out of reach of
my wicked uncle.
My uncle and relatives are desperately seeking to kill me at all cost
because of this money my late father deposited in the bank in my name.
I am an undergraduate, I stopped school after the death of my father, but I
would like to continue my education in your country if you can assist me
receive this fund. I have all the documents pertaining to my inheritance
with me which I can use to demonstrate to you that this fund is legitimate.
Please help me to have this fund transferred to your country and I will fly
to you after the fund gets to your bank account. The amount is 7.5 million
EUR.
My late father deposited this fund in one of the prime banks here in my
country and he legitimately made me the sole beneficiary to the deposited
fund. The next of kin is in my name because I am his only child and his
only daughter.
I would like you to assist me transfer this money to your bank account in
your country and also help me to come to your country to live with you and
as well continue my education from where I stopped. I value education so
much.
Please help me. I will offer you 20% of the total sum as a compensation for
your help and efforts if you help me receive this fund and I will also make
you to serve as the investment manager of this fund. I will solely rely on
you to invest this fund in a lucrative business and manage it for me since
I am ignorant of business and investment world. I ask for your urgent
response
My Kind regards
Gabrielle Williams
PS: please reply me via my private email: gabrielleinwilliams@gmail.com
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