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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "outstanding contractors" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "your payment is being processed" (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 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)
  • "executive governor" (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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: "Dr. Paul Acquah" <drpaul_gha@unimail.mn>
Reply-To: drpaul_gha@ozu.es
Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 08:49:07 -0700
Subject: PAYMENT OF YOUR CONTRACT INHERITANCE


>From The Desk Of:
Dr. Paul Acquah
Executive Governor
Bank of Ghana.

Attn: Sir/Madam,

IMMEDIATE PAYMENT OF YOUR CONTRACT INHERITANCE ON
CONTRACT #: MAV/GNPC/GH/MIN/009.

>From the records of outstanding contractors due for payment with the
Government of Ghana you were discovered as next on the list of the
outstanding contractors who have not received their payments. I wish to
inform you that your payment is being processed and will be released to you
as soon as you respond to this letter.

Also note that from my record in my file your outstanding contract payment
is US$10.7 million dollars (Ten Million Seven Hundred Thousand United States
Dollar, Please re-confirm to me if this is inline with what you have in your
record and also re-confirm to me the followings:

1) Your full names,
2) Phones, Fax and Mobile #
3) Home Address.
4) Profession, age and marital status.
5) Any kind of identification

As soon as this information are received, your payment will be made to you
in a wired transfer to your bank account directly from Bank of Ghana and the
copy of transfer will be given to you for you to take to your bank and
confirm it.
Get back to me as soon as you receive this mail.

Cordially yours,

Dr. Paul Acquah
Governor (BOG)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam