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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:
- "million united states 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)
- ",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)
- "there is no risk involved" (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: info1@skypicture.com.my
Reply-To: mikewillington387@gmail.com
Date: 15 Nov 2022 08:47:40 -0800
Subject: {Spam!}
My names is Mike Willington and My Sisters Name is Juliet Willington. We lost our both parents through Motors accident three years ago and since last year my Father's relations have confiscated all my father’s property and because of our age we cannot fight for our rights as they have threatened to kill us if we challenge them.
The reason of my emailing you is, my Father deposited the sum of Nineteen Million United States Dollars ($19,000,000.00) in a private Security Finance Company overseas before his death and he made me the next of kin, but due to my age and that of my little Sister we cannot manage the fund, so we needed your assistance to help us claim the fund from the Security Finance Company under my legal authorization as the next of Kin to enable you invest the fund in your Country for our benefit.
You will help to get us a good School in your Country to enable us Continue our Education as soon as the fund gets to your Country, while you will invest the fund on any profitable business. I will give you every document related to the fund which was given to me by my late Father before his death.
I will urge you to respond to this mail to enable me to give you all the details you may need for proper clarifications. Rest assured there is no risk involved in this because I have all the coverage documents to protect you and the fund when it get to your Country. It will only take you little money to procure all the legal Documents from the Court to change the ownership of the fund to your name with the help of a Lawyer here to prove that me and my Sister has legally transferred the ownership of our fathers fund to your name before transfer will take place.
God Bless you as I wait for your response.
Yours Faithfully
Mike and Juliet Williongton
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