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:
  • "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)
  • "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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Sean Kaith" <sherrigh212@msn.com>
Reply-To: privatefile_kaith@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 16:06:31 +0000
Subject: you're invited

DEAR SIR,

HOW ARE YOU TODAY, HOPE ALL IS WELL WITH YOU? MY NAME IS MR. SEAN KAITH AND
THE BRANCH MANAGER OF INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK OF GHANA (ICB). I WRITE
TO SEEK YOUR INTEREST IN A BUSINESS.

FOLLOWING YOUR PROFILE, I SINCERELY AND HUMBLY SEEK YOUR AGREEMENT IN THIS
FINANCIAL TRANSACTION OF MUTUAL BENEFIT. A CLIENT WANTS TO INVEST IN YOUR
COMPANY/ COUNTRY A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY VALUED AT $30.800,000:00 (Thirty
million eight hundred thousand united states Dollars) UNDER PARTNERSHIP WITH
LOT OF BENEFIT TO YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL OR COPRATE BODIES. PLEASE DO GET BACK
TO ME IMMEDIATELY FOR DETAILS OF THE PARTNERSHIP/INVESTMENT.

YOUR SINCERELY,
MR. SEAN KAITH
MANAGING DIRECTOR (ICB)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam