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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • magalisa_zikwe_2006@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Zikwe's Family" <magalisa_zikwe_2006@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Date: Mon, 8 May 2006 23:40:01 +0200
Subject:

NY 68, New cross Road.
Guguletu
Cape Town
South Africa
April 25, 2006
Dear Sir/Madam,
It pleases me to draw your attention to this important matter. My name is Magalisa Zikwe the eldest daughter of Mr. George Marawa Zikwe, of Zimbabwe. I got your contact details from your country's Chamber of Commerce when I and my brother were making an intensive research for our investment in your country, and a reliable person who will assist my family to transfer our inherited money to your country for a family investment, I then decided to contact you to for an urgent help.

During the current crises against the farmers in my country by the supporters of our President, ROBERT MUGABE to claim all the white owned farms in our country, he ordered all the white farmers to surrender their farms to his party members and their followers. My father was one of the great and best farmers in the country and knowing that he did not support the president's political ideology, the president's supporters invaded my father's farm burnt down everything, shot him and as a result of the wounds sustained, he became sick and died after five days. And after his death, I and the rest of my family decided to move out of Zimbabwe for the safety of our lives, to South Africa. BUT, before he died HE WROTE his, "WILL" which says' "(MY BELOVEED DAUGHTER, I WISH TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SUM OF
USD$7.5MILLION {SEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S DOLLARS} WHICH I DEPOSITED WITH THE SECURITY & TRUST COMPANY IN SOUTH AFRICA. IN CASE OF MY ABSENCE ON EARTH CAUSED BY DEATH ONLY". YOU SHOULD INVEST THIS MONEY INTO A PROFITABLE VENTURE OR SOLICIT FOR A RELIABLE FOREIGN PARTNER TO ASSIST YOU TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY OUT OF SOUTH AFRICA FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES. I DEPOSITED THE MONEY IN YOUR NAME AND YOU CAN CLAIM IT ALONE WITH THE DEPOSIT CODE. YOUR MOTHER HAS ALL THE DOCUMENTS AND OTHER INFORMATION TO THIS REGARD. TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOUR MOTHER AND BROTHER,"). AND BE WISE.
From the above, you can understand that the lives and future of my family depends on this money as much, I will be very grateful if you can assist us. We are now living in South Africa as POLITICAL ASYLUM SEEKERS and the financial law of South Africa does not allow ASYLUM SEEKERS certain financial rights to such huge amount of money, and the South African Government seem to be secretly supportive of the Zimbabwe Government political affairs. My family and I are very skeptical of investing this money here, due to future problems; hence South Africa and Zimbabwe have similar historical milestones, irrespective of the fact that my late father's wish was to invest this money overseas. The political climate of Africa is not stable and I would not want the same thing that happened to my father to happen to any member of my family again. In view of this, I and my family cannot invest this money here; hence we are asking you to assist us to remove this money !
out of South Africa for investment purposes, and as well as helping us to secure permission/Visa to enter your country by issuing us an invitation letter, once the money has been moved to your country. For your effort and assistance, I and my family shall set aside a reward for you, which we shall disclose, to you on your acceptance to assist us. We shall furnish you with the modalities on how the transaction will be made once we have established trust and confidence among us. I'm looking forward to your urgent response. Please email me at: magalisa_zikwe_2006@yahoo.com
Thanking you in advance for your support.

Kind regards,
For: Zikwe's family,

Magalisa Zikwe

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam