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

Fraud email example:

From: "gwilliams1@terra.es" <gwilliams1@terra.es>
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 12:42:24 +0200 (MEST)
Subject: Dear Friend


Dear Friend,

I wish to approach you with a request that would be of immense benefit to both of us. Being an executor of wills, it is possible that we may be tempted to make fortune out of our client's situations, when we cannot help it, or left with no better option.

The issue i am presenting to you is a case of my client who willed a fortune to his next-of-kin. It was most unfortunate that he and his next-of-kin died on the same day in the Sharja plane crash of Tuesday 10 February 2004. I am now faced with confusion of who to pass the fortune to.

According to the English law, the fortune is supposed to be bequeathed to the government. However, I don't belong to that school of thought which proposes that the fortune of unlucky people be given to the government.

My purpose of contacting you is to seek your acting as the beneficiary of the will, and lay claim the legacy of £12.2million which this unfortunate client of mine bequeathed to his next-of-kin.

For now, I alone know about his will, as my client has great confidence in me. Everything will be left between you and I. The share would be 25% for you and 75% for me. I would want to take care of the needy and less privileged, as this is my primary objective. All I have to do is
amend the will to make you the beneficiary to the £12.2million legacy.

Again, I feel that you may be apprehensive and consider this amount too big for you to defend. It does not matter, as there are documents to back it up. This is a legacy being passed on to a next-of-kin. As I am not very sure of getting your consent on the issue I prefer not to divulge my full identity so as not to risk being disbarred.

The English Bar considers it a breach of the oath of the English Bar. I need not emphasize to you that the sensitivity of this issue need not be toyed with by neglecting its confidentiality. I therefore appeal to you not to discuss this request with anybody, even if you decline my request.

Until I am sure of your consent and full cooperation,I would prefer that we maintain correspondence by email. At this point I want to assure you that your true consent, full cooperation and confidentiality are all that are required for us to take full advantage of this opportunity.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours truly
Gordon Williams






Prueba el Nuevo Correo Terra; Seguro, r&aacute;pido, fiable.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam