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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:
- "into 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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- afriekcard@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "Ajay Banga" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <afriekcard@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2024 22:08:35 +0100
Subject: Chairman Joint Payment Verification Team
Attn: Sir,
In view of the ongoing payment verification exercise, It may interest you to note that I personally have completed investigations about your delayed payment down to the fund origin and has established in the course of my investigation that you are actually not the initial beneficiary of the funds in question rather your name was swapped to claim this outstanding payment through the help of your partner with the bank of Africa/United Kingdom and here in the State, for their own selfish interest . I know this discovery might be a surprise to you but that is the truth.
Please note that I have really kept this development to myself and have been contemplating whether to report my findings to the entire verification team for onward cancellation of your payment, but owing to your recorded losses in this project I have this second thought of contacting you directly since I am in the position to assist you get this outstanding payment released to you via bank transfer or /ATM Card delivery to your bank account.
Hence it is based on this I am contacting you in order to inform you that I am willing to assist you process the release of this transfer into your nominated bank account on the agreement that you will donate 30% of the money towards the building of our New Church Auditorium and the processing charges for this shall be paid between you and I on equal proportion to ensure the speedy release of this funds to you ?? .
There is no way your partners could have succeeded in manipulating this transfer in your favor before this time both the deposit passwords and ownership clearance papers on this payment respectively are not within their disposals, henceforth it may interest you to note that spending any more money on this project without my consent is a complete waste of resources. Now that this truth has been revealed to you I think you have to act fast by forwarding your full details for processing of the release of these funds to you . CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESS. afriekcard@gmail.com
Thank you
Yours Faithfully
Ajay Banga
Chairman Joint Payment Verification Team
World Bank Auditors
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Anti-fraud resources: