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:
  • "search for a reliable person" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +31627181665 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • ericjon1000@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Eric Jones <ericjones022@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2007 23:36:24 +0100
Subject: urgent

Sir/Madam,
My name is Mr Eric Jones ,chairman of contract award and monitoring committee of the ministry of
industry and international trade development ,my duty as empowered by the Mauritius government is to
provide the basic amenities, social recreational activities in urban and rural areas.
This program includes assistance to deprived local communities and to co-ordinate projects and
development at the national level.Furthermore,from this projects were able to realize some reasonable
amount of u.s.$21.8(Twenty one million eight hundred thousand US. dollars only) as commission from
various contractors resulting from over invoicing of payment receipts/vouchers hence all the necessary
approvals has been completed.
These approved funds were packaged and dispatched through a security company for onward delivery
to its destination in Europe.The money was first deposited into a security vault before we arrange for its
movement to Europe through diplomatic channel using decoy purporting that the fund belongs to an
expatriate/company.

As we are government officials, the oath of office does are not allowed us to operate foreign bank
account,hence we need you to stand as the beneficiary and claim the fund on our behalf from the
security company.

Presently I am now in Europe to search for a reliable person/company of high integrity /dignity and one
with conscience who will claim this fund on our behalf as the beneficiary.

We have agreed to give you 30% of the total sum as commission for your assistance/effort and 5% will
be used to settle every expenses incurred, we will use 65%to invest under your recommendation/guide
and go into joint venture business with you .

I would greatly appreciate your assistance and I look forward to your response as soon as possible
through this e mail address:ericjon1000@netscape.net

Best regards,
Mr Eric Jones
+31627181665
ericjon1000@netscape.net

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam