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:
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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)
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "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 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.
  • adoeddie@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Ado Eddie <adoeddie2003@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 10 May 2006 08:51:33 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: GOODDAY


Engr.Ado Eddie
Economic Recovery Committee.
Federal seretariat,
Abuja-Nigeria.

ATTN: SIR

BUSINESS PROPOSAL: TRANSFER OF US$22.5M (TWENTY TWO
MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) & BUSINESS INVESTMENTS PARTNERSHIP.

First, I must solicit your strictest confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue of it's nature as being utterly confidential and top secret. Please, if the nature of this business proposal does not meet or offends your business ethics, I apologise in advance.

I am the chairman of the Economic Recovery Committe (ERC) set up by the present civilian Government of Nigeria to review contracts awarded by the past military administration.

In the course of our work at the ERC, we discovered this fund which resulted from gross re-valuation of contracts by top government officials of the last administration. The companies that executed the contracts have been duly paid and the contracts
commissioned leaving the sum of US$22.5 Million floating in the escrow account of the Central Bank of Nigeria ready for payment.

I have therefore been mandated as a matter of trust by my colleagues in the committee to look for an overseas partner to whom we could transfer the sum of
US$22.5M legally subcontracting the entitlement to you/your company. This is bearing in mind that our civil service code of conduct forbids us from owning foreign company or running foreign account while in government service hence the need for an overseas partner.

We have agreed that the funds will be shared thus after it has been paid into your account:
(1) 25% of the money will go to you for acting as the beneficiary of the fund.
(2) 5% has been set aside as an abstract projection for reimbursment to both parties for incidental expences that may be incurred in the course of the transaction.
(3) 70% to us the government officials (with which we wish to commence an importation business in conjunction with you ).

All logistics are in place and all modalities worked out for the smooth conclusion of the transaction within ten to fourteen days of commencement after receipt of the following information: Your full name/company name, address, company's details & activities, telephone & fax numbers.

These information will enable us make the applications and lodge claims to the concerned ministries & agencies in favour of your company and it is pertinent to state
here that this transaction is entirely based on trust as the solar bank draft or certified cheque drawable in any of the Central Bank of Nigeria correspondent bankers in America, Asia and Europe is going to be made in your name.

Please acknowledge the receipt of this email through adoeddie@yahoo.com

I await your prompt and positive response to this business proposal.
Yours Faithfully,
Engr.Ado Eddie


---------------------------------
New Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC and save big.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam