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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: aahmed musa <aahmedmusa_1@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 08:14:31 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: URGENT REPLY& CONFIDENTCIAL!!!!


DIRECTOR, AUDIT AND ACCOUNTING UNIT.
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPT.
UNION TOGOLIS BANK(UTB),
LOME-TOGO.
DEAR Sir/Madam,

I am AHMED,Director and Chief Accountant for the Bills and Credits in the Foreign Remittance Department section of UNION TOGOLIS BANK,(UTB) Lome-Togo in West Africa.
There is one Captain Maxwell Mobbs who happen to be one of our client but he died last year December in a plane crash which also claimed the life of his only child,Mr. Maxwell jnr. Who untill death was the next of kin to the fathers money with Utb Bank of Africa. It is only me that knows the bank information of Mr.Maxwell and I am the only director of the Bank whos aware that Mr Maxwell and his son (nextof kin) is dead.
He left at about (US$10.5 Million) (Ten MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS)in his account. At this juncture I want to transfer this US$10.5 million into the account you have nominated. I will do the paper work here claiming that you are the next of kin to Mr. Maxwell and that you want to transfer the sum into your account abroad.
The service of an Attorney will be need to seal everything and to change the data and information in his file so as to enable us transfer it swiftly. If we employ the service of a highly Accredited Lawyer that means it will take us only 7 working days to transfer the money into your account.
He will arrange for the affidavit of support? from Ministry of Justice claiming that you are the right beneficiary of this fund. Do send your Bank particulars and your personal phone number immediately.
I and my colleague will give you 30% of the total sum of the US$10.5 million for assisting us.The transaction is 100% risk free.

Yours Faithfully,

Mr AHMED.

N.B: PLEASE FORWARD TO ME YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER INCASE I NEED URGENT CONVERSATION WITH YOU.





---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Next-gen email? Have it all with the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam