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)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million 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)
  • "there are practically no risks involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr James Owusu" <james.owusu98@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: jamesowusu2000@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2006 10:46:30 +0000
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE

>From The Desk Of,
Mr James Owusu.


Dear Friend,

My name is Mr James Owusu . I am the Regional Manager of International
commercial Bank of Ghana,[I.C.B] accra branch Ghana. I write you this
proposal in good faith; I am married with two lovely children. I am a man of
peace, and have sincere respect for human feelings and opinions. I have
packaged a financial transaction that will benefit you and I. As the
Regional Manager of Ghana west Africa Bank, accra branch Ghana it is my duty
to send in a financial report to my
head office in the capital city, Accra at the end of each business year.

On the course of last year, 2005 business report, I discovered that the
branch in which I am the Manager made 9.3million United States Dollars
($9,300,000.00) which my head office is not aware of and will never be aware
of. I have placed this funds on what we call Escrow call account with no
beneficiary. As an officer of this bank I cannot be directly connected to
this money, so my aim of contacting you is to assist me receive this money
in your bank account and get 30% of the
total funds as commission.

There are practically no risks involved, the transaction will be executed
under a legitimatearrangement that will protect you from any breach of the
law, it will be simply a bank-to-bank transfer, and all I need from you is
to stand claim as the original depositor of these funds who made the deposit
with my branch so that my head office can order the transfer to your
designated bank account under few working days. If you accept to work with
me I will appreciate it very much
as you are the first and the only person I am contacting for this
transaction.

Send me an email as soon as you receive this message if you think so that we
can go over the details.

Thank you in advance and may God bless you and your family.

Sincerely,
Mr James Owusu.

_________________________________________________________________
FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar - get it now!
http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam