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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Hart Green." <godfreychukwukautaziprivete@gmail.com>
Reply-To: hartgreen_londonuk@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2021 19:23:38 +0100
Subject: I wait your reply as to proceed immediately
Dear Friend,
I am Hart Green. from UK,I have deal of Sixty Eight Million Eight
Hundred Thousand United State Dollars Only.($68.8M) in my department
and i need a trustworthy person overseas who will help me to receive
the money on 60% for me and 40% for you but all the whole money will
be held by you on trust pending when i will come to your country with
my family for the sharing of the money and also invest my share of the
money in your country.
This deal is completely 100% risk frees, the truth of the matter is
that the money in question does not belong to me rather to our late
customer who died in a plane crash with the wife and kids a few years
ago without any next left alive.
As soon as you indicate your interest and readiness to work with me to
actualize this great deal i will contact my attorney and give him all
required particulars to enable him to perfect all the documentation at
the court of law as the only survival relative of our late customer
and the change of the ownership will be done on your name by the help
of my lawyer to enable the fund move to you in your country without
any problem.
If you are interested in this deal, kindly send down the following
personal details demanded of you below and as soon i hear from you
with the required information below, we will proceed on how the money
will move to you in your country but you are advised to keep
everything regards to this business very confidential only between me
and you to ensure successful conclusion.
Kindly provide the below information so that we can proceed.
(1)Full names:........................ .....
(2)Occupation:................ ..............
(3)Age and Sex:..........................
(4)Marital Status:.......................
(5)Private mobile phone and fax numbers in any:..................
(6)Current residential address:..............
I am waiting for your urgent response so that we will start
immediately on how the fund will move to you in your country through a
United nation delivery agent. Please confirm the receipt of this vital
message.
Regards,
Hart Green.
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