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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "the consignment " (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)
  • "million us 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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "can i trust you?" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "William Johnson" <ukmilitary3@tiomail.ch>
Reply-To: williamjohnsonukmilitary@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2007 17:36:52 +0200
Subject: From William Johnson UK Military


Dear Sir/Madam, BUSINESS INITIATIVE & CONCEPT.I know that you shall
receive this proposal with utmost shock and disbelief, but not to
worry, as the transaction progresses, you shall see things for
yourself.? My name is Private Williams Johnson. I am a British
soldier, serving in the military with the Third (3rd) infantry
Division in Iraq currently in UK. I and my superior officer (an
American) after going on a rampage on Saddam Hussein's palace in
Baghdad discovered a large container where various denominations of
currency worth millions are hidden.? You can enter the below website
to confirm more of our discovery which was made known to the
government, but this particular one is a top secret:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm Having discovered
the container in question, I alerted my superior officer who smartly
told me to cart away a substantial amount. The fund in question was
moved to a secure place with the assistance of a private Security
Company in United Kingdom and the total is $25,000,000.00 (Twenty-five
million US dollars). Basically since we are still in active service,
we cannot keep this fund in our bank accounts. It is on this juncture
that I was mandated by my superior to look for a reliable and
trustworthy person who could assist us to receive the fund on our
behalf for investment purposes. Hence, my contacting you.?There is no
risk involved whatsoever. If you are interested, I will send you my
identity and the full details of claim. My duty is to find a good
partner that we can trust and that will assist us secure the fund. Can
I trust you? To ensure confidentiality, when you receive this letter,
kindly reply me via e-mail signifying your interest including your
confidential telephone/fax numbers for quick communication and also
your contact details for identification. I shall give you the details
of the custodian to the consignment in the UK in due time.?I await
your timely response:?Respectfully submitted.?Mr. William Johnson.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam