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)
  • "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "i got your email address from " (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
• This email message is a "dying widow" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <anna_wayne0212@msn.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:10:42 +0000
Subject: Remain Blessed





My Dear Friend,

Let me first of all inform you, I got your email address from a mail Directory and decided to mail you for a permission to go ahead. I am Mrs. Anna Wayne from Estonia, married to Dr. Harry Wayne who worked with Texaco Oil Company in United Kingdom before he died in a ghastly motor accident on his way to a Board meeting. Me and my Husband were married but without Any children.Since his death I decided not to re-marry and presently I am 69 Years old. When my late husband was Alive he deposited the sum of $16.5M. (Sixtheen Million Five Hundred Thousand U.S. Dollars) with a Bank.

Presently this money is still with the Bank and the management just Wrote me as the beneficiary to come forward to receive the money or rather Issue a letter of authority to somebody to receive it on my behalf. I am presently in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment Cancer of the lungs. I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only a few months to live so I think the best thing to do is to use the money for charity purposes. I want a person who is trustworthy that I will make the beneficiary of my late Husbands's Fund deposited with the bank so that the person can get the money and utilize 90% of this money to fund churches, orphanages and widows around the world.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact details of the Bank. I will also issue you a letter of authority that will prove you as the new beneficiary of this fund.

Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated here in and Keep this contact confidential till such a time this funds get to your Custody. This is to ensure that nothing jeopardizes my last wish on Earth.

I await your urgent reply.
Regards, Mrs. Anna Wayne

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam