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:
  • "dearest one," (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "united state of america" (this email uses bad English)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: =?utf-8?q?Chinaka=20Owusu?= <chinakaowusu00@yahoo.in>
Reply-To: chinakaowusu@live.co.uk
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2009 11:22:56 +0530 (IST)
Subject: URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: chinakaowusu00@yahoo.in



- FROM THE DESK OF MR CHINAKA OWUSU BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPT. BANK OF AFRICA( B.O.A) ACCRA, GHANA. DEAREST ONE, I AM THE MANAGER OF BILL AND EXCHANGE AT THE FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT OF THE BANK OF AFRICA. I SAW YOUR CONTACTS IN INTERNET SEARCH,AFTER MUCH CONSIDERATION I DECIDED TO WRITE YOU SINCE I CANNOT BE ABLE TO SEE YOU FACE TO FACE AT FIRST. I WILL LIKE YOU TO TAKE YOUR TIME TO READ THIS MAIL CAREFULLY. I DID NOT MEAN TO EMBARRASS YOU WITH MY BUSINESS PROPOSAL BUT I SERIOUSLY NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE. PLEASE THIS IS A CONFIDENTIAL MATTER AND IT REQUIRES URGENCY. IN MY DEPARTMENT WE DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF U.S$7.5M DOLLARS (SEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S.DOLLARS) IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMER WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE ON SEPTEMBER11, SEPT 2001 (AMERICA ATTACK). SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS NEXT OF KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM!
HIS MONEY BECAUSE WE CANNOT RELEASE IT UNLESS SOME BODY APPLIES FOR IT AS NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES AND LAWS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE LEARNT THAT ALL HIS SUPPOSED NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION DIED ALONGSIDE WITH HIM AT 11, SEPT 2001(AMERICA ATTACK).LEAVING NOBODY BEHIND FOR THE CLAIM. THE OWNER OF THIS ACCOUNT IS MR JOSEPH. F. GRILLO,A FOREIGNER AND HE IS THE MANAGER OF PETROL CHEMICAL SERVICE, A CHEMICAL ENGINEER BY PROFESSION. HE DIED IN WORLD TRADE CENTRE AS A VICTIM OF THE SEPTEMBER 11,2001 INCIDENT THAT BEFALL THE UNITED STATE OF AMERICA, THE BANK HAS MADE SERIES OF EFFORTS TO CONTACT ANY OF THE RELATIVES TO CLAIM THIS MONEY BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS, YOU CAN CONFIRM THROUGH THIS WEBSITE:HTTP://WWW.SEPTEMBER11VICTIMS.COM/SEPTEMBER11VICTIMS/VICTIMINFOASP?ID60 I NOW DECIDED TO MAKE THIS BUSINESS PROPOSAL TO YOU AND RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED FOR SAFETY AND SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT SINCE N!
OBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND I DON'T WANT THIS MONEY TO GO INTO THE BAN
TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL. THE BANKING LAW AND GUIDELINE HEREBY STIPULATES THAT IF SUCH MONEY REMAINED UNCLAIMED AFTER SEVEN YEARS, THE MONEY WILL BE TRANSFERRED INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL I THEREFORE AGREE THAT 40%OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS FOREIGNER PARTNER, IN RESPECT TO THE PROVISION OF A FOREIGN ACCOUNT, 10% WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR EXPENSES INCURRED DURING THE BUSINESS AND 50% WOULD BE FOR ME. THERE AFTER I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGES INDICATED. THEREFORE TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOU AS ARRANGED, YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS RELATION OR NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED INDICATING YOUR BANK NAME, YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER, YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER FOR EASY AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND LOCATION WHERE IN THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED. I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS HITCH-FREE AND THAT YOU SHOULD NO ENTERTAIN ANY ATOM OF FEAR AS ALL REQUIRED A!
RRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THE TRANSFER. YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER. TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY. YOURS FAITHFULLY, CHINAKA OWUSU BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER BANK OF AFRICA

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam