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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "top of the day to you" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• This email message is a company representative scam. This type of job offer scam involves the cashing of fake checks and money orders. It could expose you to losses of tens of thousands of dollars as well as to the risk of criminal prosecution and (in some cases) imprisonment.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Steve Pedro Oil and Gas Limited" <chau009@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 08 Oct 2005 18:31:13 +0000
Subject: Representative Required

Dear Sir/Madam,

Top of the day to you. Let me crave your indulgence to introduce myself
to you am Mr Steve Pedro president/founder of OiL & Gas Ltd.we are OPEC
members who deal on crude oil and raw materials and export into the
Canada/America and Europe. I will like to have your assistance to help
collect a cheque that is due for payment to me for services and supplies i
rendered.
Please if you are willing to assist, i will want you to furnish me with
your particulars, so as to enable me give you further details. Please, you
have to be an honest and trusted person, as more payments will be made
through you in the course of this transaction.And moreso you will be
entitled to 10% of every payment that you are able to recieve for us
from our customers.
Please contact us for more information via this email:

with the below informations filled out.

NAME...........................................
MAILING ADDRESS.......................
AGE:............................................
STATUS:......................................
STATE/COUNTRY..........................
TEL/FAX NUMBERS.......................
COMPANY NAME..........................
OCCUPATION................................


We look forward in working with you.

CEO
Mr. Steve Pedro
Oil and Gas Ltd
President/Founder

N: B We are very much aware of scams going on all over the Internet and as
such we are assuring you that at no time will you be required to make any
upfront payments of your personal funds to us for whatever reasons, we are
legitimate entrepreneur seeking for a trustworthy foreign
partners/relationship on a long term bases.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam