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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:
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- This email message is a next of kin scam.
- Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
- 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.
- df0910000@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: Daniel Frank <standardcharteredplc77@gmail.com>
Reply-To: df0910000@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2021 00:22:49 +0100
Subject: Attention....
Attention....
Are you Alive or Dead? We welcomed one Mr. Richard Seibert and his
colleagues whom claimed to us that they're your business partners and
said that you're dead after a brief illness and before death that you
gave him the power of attorney to represent you and receive your
inheritance funds from the European Central Bank/ IMF worth US$ 20
million and he provided a bank account for the remittance of the money
immediately to help in doing your burial arrangements .
Respond to us if you're alive or we will remit the US$ 20 million to
him as your next of kin to help in your burial arrangement.
Regards
Mr Daniel Frank
IMF Delivery officer
[df0910000@gmail.com]
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Anti-fraud resources:
