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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:
- ",000,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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: "UN Grant Programme" <unccch22@gmail.com>
Reply-To: ungrantprogramme53@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2022 15:13:19 -0700
Subject: Re: Grant Payment
Dear Sir/Ma
Your emails have been selected by the United Nations for a Humanitarian Development Cash Grant program to enhance and develop the standard of living geared towards poverty
eradication as targeted by the year 2021/2022.You have been granted the sum of US$1,000,000.00 (US$1Million) and your grant pin #UNCC/JUL-926-1119 G-22.
1 Full Names:
2 Full Address:
3 Telephone Number:
4 Age:
5 Gender:
6 Occupation:
7 Nationality:
8 Alternate Email Address:
Upon providing the above listed details, we will issue in your name a certificate of fund ownership which you will use to apply to the paying bank for the claim of the fund.
Regards,
Mitchel Selznick
UN Grant Programme
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Anti-fraud resources:
