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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "diplomatic delivery"
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "insurance fee " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "diplomatic delivery" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
• 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.
  • united_postal.servicebenin@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "drjmallin Gazeta.pl" <drjmallin@gazeta.pl>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:48:21 +0200
Subject: Contact United Postal Service Courier company


Dear Friend,

Greetings to you & your Family. And I am very happy to inform you about my
success in getting that fund transfered, I have been waiting for you since
to contact me for your compensation of ($1.5m) United States Dollars,but I
did not hear from you since that time,Then I went and deposited the Money
with United Postal Service Courier company (UPS),Cotonou, Benin Republic
,the money was well packaged and registered as stationeries , before I
traveled out of the country for a short Course and I will not come back till
end of November.

What you have to do now is to contact the United Postal Service Courier
company
as soon as possible to know when they will deliver your package to you
because of the expiring date. For your information, I have paid for the
delivering Charges, Insurance fee ,Non inspection tag fee and Clearance
Certificate Fee of the Parcel showing that it is not a Drug Money nor to
sponsor Terrorist attack in your Country and the parcel will not be
inspected by any agency in our airport and yours until it arrives your
address it will delivered through their Diplomatic delivery system ,

The only money you will send to the Courier & Security Company to deliver
your Package direct to your Address in your country is their Security
Keeping Fee of the Courier Company ,

Again, Do not be deceive by anybody to pay any other money except the
Security Keeping Fee, I would have paid that but they said no because they
don't know when you will contact them and in case of demurrage.
You have to contact the UPS Courier Delivery Company now for the delivery of
your fund (Cash) with this information bellow. UPS. Courier Delivery Company
Benin Republic.

E-mail:(united_postal.servicebenin@yahoo.fr)
Registration Reference No; pppscs /xxx/5000
Code Number:xxx pppscs /265.

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Receiving address, your full
name, direct telephone number and your valid international passports to them
again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and Let me repeat again, try to
contact them as soon as you receive this mail to avoid any further delay and
remember to pay them their Security Keeping fee for their immediate action.
You should also Let me know
through email as soon as you receive your Package.

Note. UPS courier Delivery Company does not know the contents of the parcel
is money. I registered it as stationeries being sent to a friend overseas.
They do not know that it contains such a huge amount of money.
This is to avoid them tempering with the package. Do not let them know the
contents. I am waiting to hear the good news from you.

Regards,
Dr jim Mallin.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam