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:
  • "cost of mailing your draft" (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "payment for the courier" (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "deadline" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "vat (5%)" (VAT is 17.5% in the UK but 5% in Nigeria)
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!

Fraud email example:

From: Air Parcel Express <delivery@apxair-courier.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2007 11:15:20 +0000
Subject: Courier Options.






AIR PARCEL EXPRESS DELIVERY SERVICE
Reference Number: HLF/06-HYE/8938Batch: HLF/CH- LF/7833


ATTENTION: Millicent Traumacher
This is to inform you that you have been officially cleared for payment by the Verifications Dept. at the headquarters of the Heritage Lottery Funds .The original copy of this certificate, together with a covering document (Money Laundering protection and Letter of Affidavit for Claims) from the Heritage Lottery Funds stating that the money was obtained legally through their international Online programme will be sent to you and the bank as soon as you meet with any of the option selected and your winnings will be couriered or transferred to you immediately.You can now begin the final step of the claims process, which is the transferring of your cash prize to you. With regards to this, there are two options open to you, you are required to select the most convenient of the three.The options, together with their associated conditions are presented below:
Option 1: COURIER DELIVERY Courier of your winning details to you via any of this channel listed below:



AIR PARCEL EXPRESS (2working days)




Mailing

£175.00

00.00


Insurance

£200.00

00.00


Vat (5%)

£176.75

00.00


TOTAL

£551.75

00.00


AIR PARCEL EXPRESS (3 working days)




Mailing &n bsp

£190.00

00.00


Insurance

£200.00

00.00


Vat (5%)

£ 98.95

00.00


TOTAL

£498.95

00.00



AIR PARCEL EXPRESS (7working days)




Mailing

£178.00

00.00


Insurance

£200.00

00.00


Vat (5%)

£ 35.45

00.00


TOTAL

£413.45

00.00
The insurance company declined reverse payment for the courier, stating that it is against their professional policy towards ensuring the safe delivery of the draft to you. That if a reverse payment is made, and something goes wrong, that we/you cannot sue the courier company or insurance company to recover the full value of the fund as stipulated in the draft since payment for insurance cover was not made at point of mailing.With the above reason, reverse payment is ruled out. Forward the cost of mailing your draft with any of the courier channel cost you choose above to us.

Please respond to this email by making a selection from the three options above. Also attach a scanned copy of either your driver's licence, international passport (photo page) or any other legally identifying document.Also be reminded that the deadline for the claiming of winnings is exactly two weeks after the receipt of this email. After this period, your cash prize will be deemed to have been forfeited by you and will be reused in the drawings of the next edition of the lottery.

WE DONT ACCEPT CASH ON DELIVERY DUE TO THE HUGE INSURANCE COVER.

Good luck and Congratulations once again. Please send your response to this email address.
BEST REGARDS Harry Hayford (dispatch officer)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam