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:
  • "international remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "lagos" (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.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "frank williams" <frank_williams332@klikni.cz>
Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 04:53:30 -0700
Subject: DID YOU AUTHORISED ANYBODY TO CHANGE YOUR ACCOUNT INFO


LAGOS-NIGERIA OFFICE OF THE INTERNATIONAL
REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT.
YOUR PAYMENT ;REF;NUMBERS 000999/CBN/7535/2008.
URGENT.

MY DEAR
DID YOU AUTHORISED ANYBODY WHO PRESENTED DOCUMENT OF CLAIM, REPORTED TO
HAVE SIGNED BY YOU FOR THE RELEASE OF YOUR PART-PAYMENT OF $9.5MILLION
USD ONLY.

RECONFIRM BACK TO ME TO AVOID ANY IRREGULARITIES AS YOUR PAYMENT IS NOW
READY TO BE DELIVERED TO YOU BY TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER(BASED ON THE
INSTRUCTIONS RECEIVED THIS MORNING FROM THE CREDIT DEPARTMENT THAT THIS
FUND HAS BEEN

AWAITING COLLECTION FOR OVER 2 YEARS WITHOUT ANYBODY COMING UP FOR THE
CLAIM.).BASED ON THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ADVISED NOT TO RESPOND TO ANY MAIL
OR FAX CONCERNING YOUR FUND FROM ANY BODY WHO CLAIM TO BE OR YOUR AGENT
AS YOUR PAYMENT IS NOW READY TO BE TRANSFERED IMMEDAITELY MY OFFICE
CONFIRM RECEIPT OF

THE FOLLOWINGS.

KINDLY RE-CONFIRM TO ME THE FOLLOWINGS:

1) YOUR FULL NAME.
2) PHONE, FAX AND MOBILE #.
3) COMPANY NAME, POSITION AND ADDRESS.
4) PROFESSION, AGE AND MARITAL STATUS.
5) YOUR BANK ACCOUNT INFOMATIONS

YOU ARE ADVISED TO FOLLOW-UP INSTRUCTIONS AS REGARDS TO YOUR FUND.THE
ABOVE IS YOUR PAYMENT (REF.# .(000999/CBN/7535/2008 .) ANY MAIL OR FAXES
WITH OUT YOUR PAYMENT NUMBERS ,YOU SHOULD DISREGARDS IT.

YOUR FAITHFULLY.
MR FRANK WILLIAMS

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam