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)
  • "it will be a bank to bank transfer" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • drmjohnson00@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Drmike Johnson <drmjohnson00@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: drmikejohnson0@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2008 12:01:09 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: YOUR URGENT ATTENTION NEEDED


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: drmjohnson00@yahoo.com

FROM,DR.MIKE JOHNSON

- DEAR SIR/MADAM, MY NAME IS DR MIKE JOHNSON, I AM THE MANAGER OF INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK OF GHANA IN THE WESTERN REGION OF TAKORADI. I WRITE YOU THIS PROPOSAL IN GOOD FAITH, I HAVE PACKAGED THIS FINANCIAL TRANSACTION SO THAT BOTH PARTY W1LL BENEFIT, BECAUSE AS THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK OF GHANA, IT IS MY DUTY TO SEND IN A FINANCIAL REPORT TO MY HEAD OFFICE IN THE CAPITAL CITY ACCRA GHANA AT THE END OF EACH BUSINESS YEAR. ON THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR 2007 BUSINESS REPORT, I DISCOVERED THAT MY BRANCH IN WHICH I AM THE MANAGER RECOVERED THE SUM OF {$11.5) MILLION USD WHICH MY HEAD OFFICE ARE NOT AWARE OF AND WILL NEVER BE AWARE OF ,I HAVE PLACED THIS FUNDS ON WHAT WE CALL ESCROW ACCOUNT WITH OPEN BENEFICIARY MANDATE, AS A MANAGER OF THIS BANK I CANNOT BE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THIS MONEY, SO MY AIM OF CONTACTING YOU IS THAT I WANT TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REMOVE THIS FUND TO YOUR CUSTODY AND AGAIN BECAUSE OF OUR COUNTRY GENERAL ELECTIO!
N FOR A NEW GOVERNMENT WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE SOON. SO I WANT YOU TO ASSIST ME IN RECEIVING THIS MONEY IN YOUR PRIVATE BANK ACCOUNT AND I WILL GIVE YOU 30% OF THE TOTAL FUNDS AS COMMISSION. THERE ARE PRACTICALLY NO RISK INVOLVED, AS IT IS 100% RISK FREE AND LEGAL. IT WILL BE A BANK TO BANK TRANSFER, ALL I NEED FROM YOU IS TO STAND AS THE BONAFIDE BENEFICIARY OF THIS FUND {$11.5} MILLION USD AND AS THE ORIGINAL DEPOSITOR OF THIS FUNDS WHO MADE THE DEPOSIT WITH MY BRANCH SO THAT MY HEAD OFFICE CAN ORDER THE TRANSFER OF THE FUND TO YOUR DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT. IF YOU ACCEPT TO WORK WITH ME I WILL BE HIGHLY APPRECIATED. YOU CAN REACH ME ON MY EMAIL AS APPEARED ON THIS MAIL IF YOU THINK WE CAN WORK TOGETHER SO THAT I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH MORE DETAILS: THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING. YOURS TRULY, DR.MIKE JOHNSON

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam