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:
  • "necessary legal documents" (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. )
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Henry Coleman Esq" <hcole@divinefabltduk.net>
Reply-To: hcole33970@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:44:50 +0000
Subject: YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED


Attention Sir/Madam

I am Henry Coleman, a legal practitioner and personal attorney to lateEngineer M.N Sulak an international contractor in the oil industrybefore his untimely demise on the 27th of September 2003 United Kingdom.

Before his death, I assisted him in the deposit of some contract fundsvalued at $22 million with a bank. The funds have remained unclaimedsince his death and such unclaimed funds are appropriated and returnedto the treasury after 6 years as a matter of banking policy.Considering the lack of success in my bid to locate any of hisrelatives for over 3 years now, I here by solicit your consent toenable me present you to the bank as the beneficiary Next of Kin to mydeceased client.

I am contacting you for two reasons because I strongly believe that theBank does not deserve to confiscate the funds and these reasons led tomy resolve to contact you to claim the funds.
Know that this deal is 100% risk free because I have in my possessionthe personal file of the deceased which contains some of theinformation we shall need to prove your legal relationship with my lateclient, which means that

the fund will definitely be paid into the account of whoever I presentto the bank as his next of kin. Moreover this is a legal and risk freetransaction that does not in anyway hamper or contravene the monetarylaws of your country because it is an inheritance fund.

All I require from you is your assurance that my share of the fundsshall be held in trust for me when it is released into your account byhe bank.Be rest assured that the fund shall be released to you by thebank upon presenting all the necessary legal documents that will beused to substantiate whatever claim we make on your behalf at the bank.

On my receipt of your consenting reply, i shall give you a detailed briefing on this proceedings.

I await your immediate response.

Regards,

Coleman Esq.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam