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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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!
• 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.
  • r.smithagent@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "AUSTRALIAN LOTTERY" <drawspromotion16@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 24 May 2008 10:39:18 -0800
Subject: YOU WON IN AUSTRALIAN LOTTERY 2008


Ref:? 575061725
Batch:8056490902/188 cash credit file
Ref: ILP/HW 46704/08.

==============================================

We are pleased to inform you about the Lottery Draw held on the 23rd of MAY
2008 from the Australian National Lottery programme .This is to inform You
that
your e-mail has been emerged as a winner For further information and claim,
contact your claims agent (MR. RICHARD SMITH) for the release of your
$400,000
USD with the below email address and quote these numbers below for him to
file
your claim.

================================================
Ref:? 575061725
Batch:8056490902/188 cash credit file
Ref: ILP/HW 46704/08.


================================================



Full Name................Phone No.................

Country..................Address..................

sex......................Occupation...............



MR. RICHARD SMITH (CLAIMS OFFICE)
Email: r.smithagent@yahoo.com


Best Regards.
Ms. Linna Martins
(Information Minister)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam