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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:
- "security keeping fee" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "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)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Mr Christopher wray <officeusa5@gmail.com>
Reply-To: christopherawray216@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2021 14:50:27 +0100
Subject: Dear Email Owner/Beneficiar
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ATTENTION AND LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY
I'm Mr Christopher wray the FBI director of U.S.A wishes to inform
you personal regarding your consigment box that worth sum of $7.8
million dollars you abandoned for over 3, months here in my office
I wish
to inform you that we will be having our general annual sanitation on
the 19th of December 2021 as it is done once annually.
mind you that after this general sanitation,you are not to hold this
office responsible for any reason regarding your funds, because all
abandoned package will be taken back to the united state treasury
department including yours therefore you have to quickly come and
pick it by yourself and pay the security keeping fee also I can
deliver it to you because a lot of agent's are lies some of them
rejected to be saying truth that's why so many people has not received
there packages, here in my office you should get the security keeping
fee of 3 months and your delivery fee which is total of $50.00 steam
wallet gift card or Amazon or you pay with Paypal account I personally
will deliver your box package to your home once you pay the needed fee
, so that your package will be mailed down to your address as soon
as possible (Get your abandoned funds delivery by fbi this Xmas )
already your name and your address was written on top of your package
therefore you don't need to send any details that's why I'm emailing
you straight the only thing you have to do right now is to pay your
security keeping fee and the delivery fee which is $50.00
thank you
Best regards
Christopher Wray.
Here is my personal cellphone number +1 309-561-2587 please message
me or call me with this number thank you so much
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