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:
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +22993235873 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • dhlcompanywestafrica@yahoo.fr

Fraud email example:

From: "ray williams" <raywilliams71712@mobimail.mn>
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2008 15:40:39 +0100
Subject: GOOD NEWS


Atten....

I have been waiting for you since regards your Bank Draft of $2.5million
usd. But I did not hear from you since that time. So I decided to deposit it
with DHL Express Courier Company here to avoid expiry. I succeeded in
registering Your Bank Draft with DHL Express Courier Company to make sure it
will be among of the parcel they will deliver this week.

Here is the contact information below:

Dr Samuel Ubah. DHL International Express Courier Company Director Benin
Republic West Africa, Tel; +229-9323-5873.E-mail:
dhlcompanywestafrica@yahoo.fr For your information: I paid all the charge
except their delivery charges of ($55.00) which they said the beneficiary
should pay to ensure them the parcel is going direct to the owner to avoid
sending it to wrong person. I used this method to deposit the Parcel safely
through a DHL channel

Please indicate the registration code (011827) to them when contacting or
calling them at +229-9323-5873.

I am in Japan with my family presently.


Sincerely
Barrister Ray Williams

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam