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:
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • lee_ming_yong@excite.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: lee yong <lee_ming_yong@excite.com>
Reply-To: jsony1970@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Thu, 10 May 2007 15:19:55 +0200
Subject: LEE $ ASSOCIATE


LEE & ASSOCIATES
SUITE 12.05, LEVEL 12, MENARA TJB
NO 9, JALAN SYED MOHD MUFTI
80000 JOHOR BAHRU
MALAYSIA
Greetings,
I am Lee Ming Yong, An Attorney of law based in Malaysia, South East
Asia, My late client was a private oil consultant/ contractor with the
Shell Petroleum Development Company in Malaysia before his death. My
client, his wife and his three children lost their life in the 2004
tsunamis natural disaster while on their holiday in Phuket Thailand. It may
interest you to know that my client died "in testate".
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/27/asia.quake/
PROPOSITION:
I decided to contact you purely on the personal conviction of trust and
confidence to assist in distributing the money left behind by my
client.The deceased had a deposit valued presently at (US $9,000,000) and his
Bank has issued me a notice to provide his next of kin or beneficiary
by will, otherwise the account would be confiscated.
My proposition to you is to seek your consent to present you as a
relative/next-of-kin and beneficiary of my client, since you have the same
last name, so that the proceeds of this account could be paid to you.
Then we can share the amount on a mutually agreed-upon percentage. All
legal documents to back up your claim as my client's next-of-kin will
be provided.All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see
this transaction through.
This will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect
you from any breach of the law. If this business proposition offends
your moral values,do accept my apology.I must use this opportunity to
implore you to exercise the utmost indulgence to keep this matter
extraordinary confidential, whatever your decision, while I await your prompt
response.
Please contact me at once to indicate your interest.Further response
should be sent to the email contact address.
Email: lee_ming_yong@excite.com
Best regards,
Barr. Lee Ming Yong,
(Principal Partner).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam