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. )
  • "million dollars" (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)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • markjohnson41@myway.com

Fraud email example:

From: mark johnson <johnson_mark41@mondomail.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:57:24 -0700
Subject: Dr Mark Johnson,an Auditor of a bank


<p>Dr.Mark Johnson<br>Branch Accountant,<br>Lagos Nigeria,<br>E-mail : <a target=_blank href="mailto:markjohnson41@myway.com">markjohnson41@myway.com</a><br>Hello ,<br> <br>I am Dr  Mark Johnson,an Auditor of a bank  in Lagos.During the course of our auditing,I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1999 and since 2000 nobody has operated on this account.After a lot of investigation I discovered that the owner of the bank account died without a beneficiary. The money is floating and if I do not remit this money out it will be forfeited for nothing.<br> <br> The owner of the account is a foreigner. He died since 2000 and the bank account has no other beneficiary. My investigation proved to me that nobody knows about this account or anything concerning it. So I want to grab this opportunity, as it is no harm to nobody.<br> <br>I know that this mail will come to you out of the blue as a total surprise. Well, I have a business proposal which I believe might interest you. I believe that you would be in a position to assist me in my bid to transfer the sum of ($9.8 million dollars).</p>
<p>I am here soliciting for your assistance as a foreigner because the money cannot be approved to anybody here. But It can be approved to a foreigner with valid international passport or drivers license and foreign bank account because the former owner of the account is a foreigner. <br> <br>The management must approve this payment to you if you have the correct information of this account, which I will give to you,upon your positive response and once I am convinced that you are capable and will meet up with instruction of key bank official who is deeply involved with me in this project.<br> <br> <br>With my influence and the position of the bank officials, we can transfer this money to any foreigner's reliable account, which you can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending our physical arrival at your end for sharing. Note that an existing foreign bank account or an empty account can serve to receive this money.<br> <br>At the conclusion of this business, you will be give 40% of the total amount, 55% will be for the bank official and I, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during the course of this transaction.If you have interest in doing this transaction provide the following:<br> <br> 1} YOUR NAME:<br> 2} PHONE NUMBER:<br> 3} ONE PASSPORT:<br> 4}CONTACT ADDRESS<br>An attorney will be contracted to help us revalidated and notarize all the necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us se this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under alegitimate arrangement that will protect you. from any breach of the law.<br> Reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take. <br>Regards.<br>Dr  Mark Johnson. </p><BR><BR><BR><div style='height:1px;background-color:#BBBBBB;margin-bottom:5px'></div><font size="1">powered by </font><a href=""><font size="1">www.mondomail.com</font></a>

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam