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.

Fraud email example:

From: "Chris Apela" <chris_apela@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: chris_apela@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 01:31:10 +0000
Subject: NEXT OF KIN

FROM THE DESK OF
Chris Apela ESQ

DEAR SIR,

BEFORE I START, I MUST FIRST APOLOGIZE FOR THIS UNSOLICITED MAIL TO YOU. I
AM AWARE THAT THIS IS CERTAINLY AN UNCONVENTIONAL APPROACH TO START A
RELATIONSHIP, BUT AS TIME GOES ON YOU WILL REALIZE THE NEED FOR MY ACTION.
MY NAME IS BARRISTER CHRIS APELA ESQ. I AM THE PERSONAL ATTORNEY TO MR.
JOHN RYERSON, A NATIONAL OF YOUR COUNTRY, WHO WORKED WITH AN OIL COMPANY
IN GUINEA. HERE-IN-AFTER REFERRED TO AS MY CLIENT.

ON THE 21ST OF APRIL 2000, MY CLIENT, HIS WIFE AND THEIR TWO CHILDREN WERE
INVOLVED IN A GHOSTLY MOTOR ACCIDENT ALONG SAGAMU EXPRESS ROAD. MY CLIENT
AND HIS ENTIRE FAMILY UNFORTUNATELY LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE ACCIDENT.
SINCE THEN I HAVE MADE SEVERAL ENQUIRIES TO YOUR EMBASSY TO LOCATE ANY OF
MY CLIENT'S EXTENDED
RELATIVES, WHICH HAS PROVED ABORTIVE AFTER THESE SEVERAL UNSUCESSFUL
ATTEMPTS, THE NEED TO CONTACT YOU.

MY MAIN REASON FOR CONTACTING YOU IS TO ASSIST ME IN REPATRIATING THE MONEY
AND PROPERTY LEFT BEHIND BY MY CLIENT BEFORE THEY ARE CONFISCATED OR
DECLARED UNSERVICEABLE BY THE BANK WHERE THEY ARE DEPOSITED/LODGED.
PARTICULARLY, THE STANDARD TRUST AND INVESTMENT LTD. WHERE THE DECEASED HAS
A FIXED SUM OF EIGHT MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS. THE BANK HAS ISSUED ME
A FINAL NOTICE TO PROVIDE THE NEXT OF KIN OF MY CLIENT OR THEY WILL BE LEFT
WITH NO OTHER CHOICE THAN TO CONFISCATE HIS FUNDS.

SINCE I HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN LOCATING MY CLIENT'S RELATIVES FOR THE
PAST 1 YEAR NOW I SEEK YOUR CONSENT TO PRESENT YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN OF MY
CLIENT GOING BY THE FACT THAT BOTH OF YOU HAS THE SAME NATIONALITY , SO THAT
THE SAID FUNDS AS STATED ABOVE I.E, THE SUM OF RIGHT MILLION UNITED STATES
DOLLARS CAN BE PAID TO YOUR ACCOUNT .AND I AND YOU WILL SHARE THE MONEY 55%
FOR ME 40% FOR YOU WHILE THE REMAINING 5% WILL BE FOR TAX AND EXPENSES AS
YOUR COUNTRY MAY REQUIRED: I HAVE ALL NECESSARY LEGAL DOCUMENTS THAT CAN BE
USED TO BACK UP ANY CLAIM WE MAY MAKE. ALL I REQUIRE IS YOUR HONEST
COOPERATION TO ENABLE US SEE THIS ARRANGEMENT THROUGH. I GUARANTEE THAT
THIS WILL BE EXECUTED UNDER A LEGITIMATE ARRANGEMENT THAT WILL PROTECT YOU
FROM ANY BREACH OF THE LAW. PLEASE REPLY ME BY MY E-MAIL .
FINALLY KINDLY GIVE ME YOUR CONFIDENTAIL PHONE/MOBILE/FAX NUMBERS FOR
FUTHER DISCUSSION.

BEST REGARDS,

CHRIS APELA ESQ:

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam