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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.
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Fraud email example:
From: Ben Kala <bebkalla001@gmail.com>
Reply-To: benkalla648@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2023 13:14:55 +0100
Subject: I am waiting for your positive reply.
Dear Sir,
My name is Mr Ben Kala. I am a Consultant to the World Bank on the new
Global Economic Growth Regeneration and Development Initiative
(GEGRDI) aimed at straightening and stabilizing developed countries'
economies and stimulating positive trade and investment activities in
developing countries. We are therefore mandated to identify, monitor
and empower persons with great potential to drive this project.
Furthermore we are vested with the authority to assess persons with
outstanding payments especially in Africa with a view to facilitating
prompt payment to them on one hand or compensate them adequately on
the other hand.
You have been identified as someone capable of driving this project to
actualize the purpose of the programme. Consequently the sum of
USD16.5m have been provisionally approved for you as adequate
compensation and start up fund for this project. Kindly send your
names, address and phone number to me if you wish to receive the
funds.
I am waiting for your positive reply.
Mr Ben Kala.
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Anti-fraud resources:
