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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:
- An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
- 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:
- "to your nominated bank account" (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 "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
- This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- f.a.christopher823@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "MR. BELLO USMAN" <internationalfinanceattorney01@vivaldi.net>
Reply-To: debtoffice8@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2023 15:35:53 -0600
Subject: CLAIM YOUR COMPENSATION FUNDS.
Dear Good Friend.
I am happy to inform you about my success in getting those funds
transferred under the cooperation of a new partner from Turkey.
Presently I am in Turkey for investment projects with my own share of
the total sum. Meanwhile, I didn’t forget you’re past efforts and
attempts to assist me in transferring those funds despite that it
failed us some how. Now contact my secretary in London-UK on the below
contact.
Name: Frank Christopher.
Email: f.a.christopher823@hotmail.com
London - United Kingdom.
Phone #:+44 75 2064-9151.
Contact and ask him to send you the total sum of US$920.000.00.{Nine
Hundred And Twenty Thousand United States Dollars} which I kept for
your past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter. I
appreciated your efforts at that time very much. So feel free and get
in touched with my Secretary Mr. Frank and instruct him where to send
the amount to you. Please do let me know immediately you receive it so
that we can share the joy after all the sufferings at that time.
Do send to Frank Christopher (f.a.christopher823@hotmail.com) your
contact details.
Your Full Names….....................
Your House Address…..................
Phone Number…........................
Your occupation......................
To enable him submit your details to my paying bank the HSBC Bank
London-UK to wire your compensation money to your nominated bank
account/Bank Check or they can send to you an authorized bank ATM Visa
Card to your address for you to withdraw the money from any bank ATM
Machine in your country.
In the moment, I am very busy here because of the investment projects
which me and the new partner are having at hand, finally, remember
that I had forwarded instruction to my secretary on your behalf to
receive that money, so feel free to get in touch with Frank
Christopher he will send the amount to you with out any delay.
Thanks and God bless you.
Yours faithfully,
Mr. Bello Usman.
Ex-Central Bank Director.
Philanthropist.
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