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:
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs.joycelyn King" <mrs.joycelynking@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: joycelyn_1boxking@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2008 10:38:32 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Charity Project Through You


Hello Friend,
=A0
My name is Mrs. Joycelyn King I am a dying woman who has decided to donate =
what I have to charity through you. You may be wondering why I chose you. B=
ut someone has to be chosen.=20
=A0
I am 59 years old and was diagnosed for cancer about 2 years ago, immediate=
ly after the death of my husband who had left me everything he worked for. =
I have been touched by the Lord to donate from what I have inherited from m=
y late husband to Charity through you for the good works of humanity, rathe=
r than allow my relatives to use my husband's hard earned funds inappropria=
tely.=20
=A0
I have asked the Lord to forgive me all my sins and I believe he has, becau=
se He is merciful. I will be going in for an operation, and I pray that I s=
urvive the operation.=20
=A0
I have decided to WILL/Donate the sum of $5.7 Million (Five Million Seven H=
undred Thousand United States Dollars) to charity through you for the good =
work of the Lord, and to help the motherless, less privileged and also for =
the assistance of the widows. At the moment I cannot take any telephone cal=
ls, due to the fact that my relatives are around me and I have been restric=
ted by my doctor from taking telephone calls because I deserve all the rest=
I can get. Presently, I have informed my lawyer about my decision in WILLI=
NG this fund to charity through you.=20
=A0
I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly, and ple=
ase use the funds well and always extend the good work to others. If you ar=
e interested in carrying out this task, I will inform my Family Lawyer so t=
hat he can arrange the release of the funds to you. I know I have never met=
you but my mind tells me to do this, and I hope you act sincerely. I will =
pay you 30% of this money if you will assist me because I am now too weak a=
nd fragile to do things myself because of my cancer.=20

NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the =
task is accomplished, as I don't want anything that will jeopardize my last=
wish.
=A0
Remain Blessed in the Lord=20
=A0
Mrs. Joycelyn=A0 King=20

=0A=0A=0A

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam