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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • tobakigali@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "TOBA KIGALI" <tobakigali@hotmail.co.uk>
Reply-To: tobakigali@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:56:50 +0000
Subject: PLEASE GET BACK TO ME IMMEDIATELY

Dear friend,

I am Barrister Toba Kigali, a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney
to Dr. James Ribadu, a national of your country who used to work with the
Shell Development Company in Nigeria.

On the sunday 30th january of 2000, my client, his wife and their only
daughter were involved in a ill fated Kenyan Airways bus{A310 flight-KQ431
(http://www.usafricaonline.com/aircrashkenya.html)

All the occupants of the plane unfortunately lost their lives. Since then, I
have made several enquiries in the embassies here to locate any of my
client's intended relatives. This has proved unsuccessful.

After these all several unsuccessful attempts to contact his relatives over
6 years now but to know avail, I am contacting you therefore to assist in
recovering the fund valued at $10.5 million left behind by my client before
it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge
amount was deposited.

The said bank has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the
account confiscated within the next twenty-one official working days.I seek
for your consent since you are a foreigner, so that the proceed of this
account can be paid to you.

As it is, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the
sharing ratio and modalities for transfer. I have all necessary information
and legal documents needed to back you up for the claim. All I require from
you is your honest co-operation to enable us see this transaction through.

I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that
will protect you from any breach of law.

Please get in touch with me through my private email address:
tobakigali@yahoo.com.

forwarding to me, your full name and contact address, private phone and fax
number so that we can proceed immediately.

Expecting your soonest response.

Best regards.

Tobaki Gali

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam