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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:
- "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)
- "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)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
Fraud email example:
From: carine9052@gmail.com
Reply-To: oweuwah65@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 04 Jan 2021 11:12:41 +0000
Subject: Greeting
Greeting,
I contacted you some time ago and I got no response from you hope you received my mail? I mentioned about my late client that has the same surname with you. He deposited the sum of US$13.580 million dollars in one of the bank here in our country and the bank has asked me to provide a next of kin to the deceased for claimant of the said fund. I wish to present you as the next of kin to the bank. I
hereby solicit for your immediate response and positive commitment and efforts to facilitate this process. The money has been dormant for years in our Bank without claim. I want the bank to release the money to you as the nearest person to our deceased customer, besides I don't want the money to go into government treasury as an abandoned fund. So is the reason why I am
contacting you so that the bank can release the money to you as the next of kin to the deceased customer. Please I would like you to keep proposal as a top secret between me and you. Upon receipt of your reply, i will give you full details on how the business will be executed and also note that you will have 50% of the above mentioned sum while 50% will be for me, if you agree to handle business with me reply immediately for further details.
Regards,
Barrister
Uwahm Onuh
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Anti-fraud resources:
