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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • mrjoe_williams_in@yahoo.co.in

Fraud email example:

From: "barrister_jimmyjohnson" <barrister_jimmyjohnson@lycos.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 13:12:49 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: very urgent


My dear friend, I'm happy to inform you about my success in getting those funds transferred under the co-operation of a new partiner from paraguay.Presently i'm in Japan for investment projects with my own share of the total sum.meanwhile,i didn't forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me in transffering those funds despite that it failed us somehow   Now contact my secretary in Cotonou Benin Republic his name is MR.joe williams,his email:(mrjoe_williams_in@yahoo.co.in) ask him to send you the total $800,000.00 bank draft which i raised in your favour for your compensation for all the past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter.i appreciated your efforts at that time very much.so feel free and get in touched with my secretary Mr joe williams and instruct him where to send the amount to you.   Please do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share the joy after all the sufferness at that time.in the moment, i'm very busy here because of the in
vestment projects which me and the new partiner are having athand,finally,remember that i had forwarded instruction to the secretary on your behalf,so feel free to contact him now to eneblehim send your money to you without any delay. My regards to you and your family,   Barrister Johnson    


Lycos email has 300 Megabytes of free storage... Get it now at mail.lycos.co.uk

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam