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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • zainab_0abdulkarim@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: zainab abdulkarim <z_4aabu@live.fr>
Reply-To: <zainab_0abdulkarim@yahoo.fr>
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:48:30 -0500
Subject: Dear Sir/Madam,



Dear Sir/Madam, Gooday

My name is (Zainab Abdulkarim) i am 18yrs of age from Sierra Leone. my father and I escaped from our country at the heat of the civil war after loosing my mother and two of my senior brothers in the war. As a result of the political instability in my country even after the war, my father established his cocoa and coffee export business in Abidjan, Ivory Coast before his untimely death. He was in Buake, the northern part of Ivory coast to negotiate for the purchase of a cocoa plantation when he was shot and killed by the rebel troupes fighting to take over the government of the country on the 22nd September, 2002. The death of my father has now made me an orphan and thereby exposing me to danger. Before the unfortunate death, my late father had in his personal account with a bank here the sum of ($1.5m. usd) As a result of the present insecurity of lives and property in this country, I wish to request that you assist me use your account in your country to transfer the balance of my father's account. Again you will assist me with a letter of invitation that will enable me get a visa to your country for residence inorder for me to continue my education and to invest the fund in a valuable business venture. I am willing to give you 20% while 5% will be earmarked for expenses. If this is acceptable to you, send me a mail through my regular e-mail account(zainab_0abdulkarim@yahoo.fr) so that we can discuss further on this matter, Please i'm expacting to hear from you as soon as you receive this mail. Best of RegardsZainab Abdulkarim
_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live Hotmail and Microsoft Office Outlook – together at last.  Get it now.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA102225181033.aspx?pid=CL100626971033

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam