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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• This email message is a next of kin 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.
  • victorbenard2@yahoo.co.nz (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • email.victorbenard2@yahoo.co.nz

Fraud email example:

From: "Victor Benard" <mrvictorbenard@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 15:22:34 +0000
Subject: Next of kin.


Dear Friend,

I am writing you from republic of Togo. I work in a bank here and
there is the sum of $11.5M floating in a dormant account that belongs to a
late customer who died alongside his younger brother in the crash of
December, 2003. www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/

I will like this money be transfered into your account as the next of kin of
the deceased customer because the money will automatically go into
government treasury at the end of this year. Reply this mail while I furnish
you on how this will work out.Get back to me through this email, *
victorbenard2@yahoo.co.nz <email.victorbenard2@yahoo.co.nz>*

Yours faithfully,
Mr Victor Benard.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam