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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • rpetersan@rocketmail.com
  • rpetersan@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: =?utf-8?q?Robert=20Peters?= <rpetersan@rocketmail.com>
Reply-To: rpetersan1@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 07:29:32 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: URGENT REPLY PLEASE


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a:rpetersan@rocketmail.com



- Dear Friend,I am Robert Peters the Personal Attorney to Late Walter . I hereby attempt to reach you via your email.I wish to notify you that my Late client has passed away and thus made you a beneficiary to his will.I contacted you to assist in repatriating my late client's your relative's funds in before they are declared unserviceable.Particularly the deceased had an account valued at about US$4Million Dollars.You should forward alone your full name, current telephone and fax number,including your current mailing address,age,sex,occupation. I hope to hear from you in no distant time.I will be paid my lawyers/legal fess at the conclusion of this transaction. Please get back to me through my emailaddress:(rpetersan@yahoo.com) to enable us discuss further.Best regards,Thanks and God bless you.Barrister Robert Peters

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam