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)
  • "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)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "malik_taofik" <malik_taofik@terra.com.mx>
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2006 10:29:23 -0600
Subject: please respond urgently


Mr. Malik Taofik
Bill and exchange manager,
Bank Of Africa
Ouagadougou Burkina Faso.

Re: Transfer of ($12,300.000.00 USD)
(Twelve million three hundred thousand dollars)

Dear friend,

This short memo would certainly come to you as surprise due to the fact that we haven’t had any previous correspondence with each other. Inspite of this, I will appreciate it if you will permit me to inform you of my desire to execute a business with you which will certainly be of a mutual benefit to both of us.

We want to transfer to overseas ($12,300.000.00 USD) Twelve million three hundred thousand United States Dollars) from the Bank of Africa, I want to ask you to quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new Bank a/c immediately to receive this money, even an empty a/c can serve to receive this funds quitely.

I am Mr. Malik Taofik, the accountant personal confidant to Dr. George Brumley who died together with his wife Dr.Mrs. Jean Brumley in a plane crash on June. 2003. Mr. George Brumley, is an American, a physician and industrialist, he died without having any beneficiary to his assets including his account here in Burkina Faso which he opened in a Bank of Africa in the year 2000 as his personal savings for the purpose of expansion and developement of his company before his untimely death in 2003.

The amount involved is (USD12,300,000.00)Twelve million three hundred thousand USD, no other person knows about this account, I am contacting you for us to transfer this funds to your account as the beneficiary, I want to first transfer $7,300.000.00 ( Seven million five hundred thousand USD) from this money into a safe account abroad, after which we will transfer the remaining (5M) but I don't know any foreigner, I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved to a local person here, without valid international foreign passport, but can only be approved to any foreigner with valid international passport or drivers license and foreign a/c because the money is in US Dollars and the former owner of the a/c Mr.George Brumley is a foreigner too, and as such the money can only be approved into a foreign a/c.

I need your full co-operation to make this work fine. because the management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct information of this account, which I will give to you, upon your positive response and once I am convinced that you are capable and will meet up with instruction of a key bank official who is deeply involved with me in this business..

I am willing to offer you 40% of the funds so that I can guarantee your commitment to this project. If you are interested, please reply immediately via my email address and upon your response, I shall then provide you with more details that will help you understand how I plan to implement this project.

Please observe utmost confidentiality, and be rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall require your assistance to invest my share in real estate within your country.

Due to the nature of confidentiality in this Transaction I would want you to contact me via my email address or my phone number +226 76 52 69 64.
Awaiting your urgent reply

Thanks and my regards.
Mr. Malik Taofik.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam