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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:
- "30% for you " (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)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: "Dr. Fran C Edward" <ecelynefrickman@gmail.com>
Reply-To: dr.cfrankedward@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2022 15:53:09 +0000
Subject: I will be expecting your response.
Good Day
Sir.
How are you today, I hope you are doing great. I want to first of all
apologize for bundling into your privacy on this manner without us
knowing or meeting each other before please do not pick offense for
that.
I am Mr. Frank C Edward from Rivers State Nigeria. I work as a supervisor
with NNPC here and there's a reason why I am contacting you. I know you
are aware of what is going on in my country right now there’s a crisis
of division which nobody knows what will is going to be the outcome of
the problem.
Here I and my colleague position, there’s a contract already executed
here and the executor finish his work since 2016 awaiting for his full
payment which his payment approve since 2018 and since then he is
nowhere to be found until last two months we decided to put a trace on the
man that did the contract and we discovered that the man died 2017 and
he left no body no next of kin or dear about.
Now I and my colleague decide to contact you for us to claim the
contract sum don’t mind on how we are going to execute it because we
have already draw the map. The file is intact with us and for your
signatory that needed most, the file will be brought to you in your
country or any of your nearby country where you can visit easily meet
with our lawyer to sign the documents with him so do not fear for
anything or risk it is 100% risk free.
The contract amount is $370 million and we decided to share the money
this way . My colleague will take 60%/ 30% for you and 10% aside for
any expenses. Hope this will be ok by you.
I will be expecting your response. Please let us hurry up.
Thanks
Mr. Frank C Edward
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