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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.
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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.
- The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "hundred thousand us 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)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
- This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
- 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.
- +22997761423 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
- 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.
- drhabibghazi02@yahoo.ca (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
Fraud email example:
From: "drhabibghazi02 Gazeta.pl" <drhabibghazi02@gazeta.pl>
Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 09:00:48 -0700
Subject: Transaction From Dr.Habib Ghazi, Tel:+229 97761423.
*Dear Sir / Ceo ,
I am Dr.Habib Ghazi Senior Accountant & the Auditor General Manager of BANK
OF AFRICA, of the Federal Republic of Benin. I work with BANK OF AFRICA in
Cotonou Benin Rep. It is my wish to solicite your assistance in a business
opportunity that will be benefited for you and I.*
*During our investigation and Auditing in my Bank, in my department I came
across an abandoned sum of money ( Eight Million One Hundred Thousand US
Dollars) In an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer late
MRS.F. A Shafiq , a citizen of Lebanon who died along with her entire
family.*
*I wish to know if we can work together. I would like you to stand as her
Next of Kin to a Fixed Deposit of US$8.1M which she made to our Bank. She
died and left nobody behind as her Next of Kin.*
*Please get back to me through my private email address below , If you are
interested to know much about this transaction :
**drhabibghazi02@yahoo.ca*<drhabibghazi02@yahoo.ca>
* *
*Dr.Habib Ghazi.
Tel : +22997761423 *
Anti-fraud resources: