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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "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)
- "your urgent reply" (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: Ngu James <jamesnguh@gmail.com>
Reply-To: jamesngu20061@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2021 00:57:33 -0700
Subject: GET BACK TO ME.
Dear Sir/Madam,
I have deal of Sixty three Million five Hundred Thousand United State
Dollars Only.($63.5M) in my department and i need a trust worthy
person overseas who will help me to receive the money in 60% for me
and 40% for you but all the whole money will be held by him on trust
pending when i will come with my family to invest my share of the
money as you will be required to come down to the bank for a meeting
and for the release of the funds to your account since the funds is in
the bank.
Please you are advised to keep every thing regards to this business
very confidential.
I am waiting for your urgent reply
Regards,
Yours Sincerely
Mr.James Ngu.
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Anti-fraud resources: