joewein.de LLC fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter! Free trial for 30 days

"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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.

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Felix Ahmed" <felix_ahmed00@latinmail.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 15:54:19 +0100 (CET)
Subject: URGENT REPLY NEEDED.


HELLO DEAR,
=20
MY NAME IS MR FELIX AHMED, I WORK WITH A BANK HERE IN OUAGADOUGOU, BURK=
INA FASO (NAME WITHHELD FOR SECURITY REASONS).=20
=20
I HAVE URGENT AND VERY CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSITION FOR YOU AS RIG=
HTLY UNVEILED BELOW. IN JANUARY 2002, AN AMERICAN OIL CONSULTANT/CONTRA=
CTOR (LEWIS ALTMAN) MADE A NUMBERED-TIME (FIXED DEPOSIT) FOR TWELVE CAL=
ENDAR MONTH VALUED AT (=A328.5 M)TWENTY EIGHT MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOU=
SAND UK POUND STERLING,
=20
UPON MATURITY I SENT A ROUTINE NOTIFICATION OF ACCOUNT STATUS TO HIS FO=
RWARDING ADDRESS BUT GOT NO REPLY. AFTER TWO MONTHS, WE SENT A REMINDER=
OF SAME LETTER, AND FINALLY WE DISCOVERED FROM HIS CONTACT EMPLOYERS, =
HALLIBURTON OIL SERVICES COMPANY THAT ENGINEER.LEWIS ALTMAN DIED IN AUT=
O CRASH.
=20
AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND OUT THAT HE DID NOT LEAVE A WILL A=
ND ALL ATTEMPTS TO TRACE HIS NEXT OF KIN WERE FRUITLESS.I THEREFORE MAD=
E FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND DISCOVERED THAT HE DID NOT DECLARE ANY NEXT=
OF KIN IN ALL HIS OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING HIS BANK DEPOSIT PAPER=
S. THIS SUM OF =A328,500,000.00 IS STILL FLOATING IN OUR BANK AND THE I=
NTEREST IS BEING ROLLED OVER WITH THE PRINCIPAL SUM AT THE END OF EACH =
YEAR.
=20
SUBSEQUENT TO THESE SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO TRACK HIS LAST NAM=
E OVER THE INTERNET IN ORDER TO LOCATE ANY MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY.=20
I HAVE CONTACTED YOU TO ASSIST IN SECURING THIS MONEY BEFORE THEY ARE C=
ONFISCATED OR DECLARED UNSERVICEABLE BY MY BANK. IT IS THEREFORE,=20
=20
UPON DISCOVERY THAT I DECIDED TO MAKE BUSINESS WITH YOU AND RELEASE THE=
MONEY TO YOU AS NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED FOR SAFEKEEPIN=
G AND SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT, SINCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND I DO N=
OT WANT THIS MONEY GO BACK INTO GOVERNMENT'S TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL=

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam