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:

• 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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• 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.
  • +34697434571 (Spain, 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.
  • westernlotto77@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: ANDRES PETERSON <westernlottosp@netscape.net>
Reply-To: westernlotto77@netscape.net
Date: Tue, 06 Dec 2005 17:10:13 +0100
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION


WESTERN LOTTERY
280089, C/Serrano 15
Madrid Spain
(Customer Services)
Ref: ES/9420X2/675
Batch: 074/05/ZY3653
REPLY EMAIL TO: westernlotto77@netscape.net
FINAL WINNING NOTIFICATION/ PROCESSING ADVICE:
We happily announce to you the draw (#937) of the WESTERN LOTTERY(Euromillion), online Sweepstakes International program held on January 1st 2006 Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: 56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers: 04-11-12-13-32 (03-09), which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.e. Match 2 and stars1 plus bonus. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of €795,579.50 (Seven hundred and ninety three thousand, five hundred seventhy nine and fifthy Euros) in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.
This is from a total cash prize of €Euros 6,000.000.00 shared amongst the Nine
(9) lucky winners in this category i.e. Match 2 and stars 1 plus bonus. All participants
for the online version were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions, associations, and corporate bodies that are listed online. This promotion takes place weekly. Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your
play coupon.
In view of this, you have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of €793,579.50(Seven hundred and ninety three thousand, five hundred seventhy nine and fifthy Euros) which would be released to you by any of our payment offices in Europe. You money is now insured in your name under insurance bond policy. Our European agents will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact them. For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential till your claims is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize.
This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned. To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary agent:
MR. JOHN RAPHAEL OR LIZZY GOLD
TEL.+34-697-434-571
FAX.+34-697-434-58
Email: westernlotto77@netscape.net
Good luck and Congratulations once more from me and members of staff of the
WESTERN LOTTERY.
Yours faithfully,
ANDRES PETERSON
Online coordinator for WESTERN LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam