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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "million pounds" (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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "30% for you " (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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +447045706187 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • ellisfeet@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "mike ellis" <m.ellis13@gala.net>
Reply-To: mkeellis1951@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 10:28:01 +0200
Subject: business poposal


Dear sir/madam,

I wish to accost you with a request that would be of immense benefit to both
of us. Being the Financial Director of Halifax Bank of Scotland, United
Kingdom, it is possible that we may be attracted to make fortune out of my
customer situations, when we cannot help it, or left with no better option.

The issue I am presenting to you is a case of my customer Mr.John Hughes,
who was an Australian citizen and a Chemical Engineer by profession, he died
since 1996, before his death, he willed a fortune to his next-of-kin. It was
most unfortunate that he and his next-of-kin died on the same day in the
Sharja plane crash on Tuesday 10 February 1996 . I am now faced with
confusion of who to pass the fortune to.

According to the English law, the fortune is supposed to be bequeathed to
the government. However, I do not belong to that school of thought which
proposes that the fortune of a deceased be given to the government. After a
thorough investigation I discovered that Mr. John Hughes's has no other
beneficiary and my investigation also proves that his company does not know
anything about this account, the amount involved is thirty Million Pounds
Sterling (£30,000,000.00).

My purpose of contacting you is to seek your acting as the beneficiary of
the will, and lay claim the legacy of (£30,000,000.00) million pounds
sterling, which my unfortunate client bequeathed to his next-of-kin.
Everything will be left between you and I. The share would be 30% for you
and 70% for I. I would like to take a part of my share to care of the needy
and less privileged,as this is my primary objective. All I have to do is
amend all file to make you the beneficiary to the (£30,000,000.00) million
pounds sterling legacy.

Again, I feel that you may be apprehensive and consider this amount very
huge for you to defend. It does not matter, as there are documents to back
it up. I therefore appeal to you not to obsolete this request to anybody,
even if you decline my request. Until I am sure of your consent and full
cooperation. I would prefer that we maintain all correspondence by email and
phone call.

At this point I want to assure you that your true consent, full cooperation
and confidentiality are all that are required for us to take full advantage
of this opportunity.
I look forward to hear from you soon.
Yours truly,

Mike Ellis,
Financial Director,
Halifax Bank Of Scotland Plc.
Tel: +44 704 57 06187
Email: ellisfeet@yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam