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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• 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.
  • microsoft_claimsofficedept4@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Irene Lopes <ilopes@itn.pt>
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:16:41 +0000
Subject: Contact Your Claims Agent Via Email Below


Microsoft MSN Promotion Award Team
17-19 Cole Street, Baines,Middlesex,
Tw18 4TP.UK
Ref Number: OSL/655/049/09
Batch Number: AT-640-SB05-03

Dear Winner,

This is to inform you that you have been selected for a cash prize of Nine Hundred & Ninety Nine Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirteen United Kingdom Pounds(£999,513.00) on Lottery promotion which was organized by the MICROSOFT MSN AWARD TEAM, all the email addresses of the people that are active online was collected, through an electronic balloting System without the winner applying, we congratulate you for being one of the lucky winners of the promo.

You are to contact your Claims Agent with immediate effect to facilitate the protocol of your winning prized before the date of Claim elapses, Winners
shall be paid in accordance with his/her Settlement Center. Prize must be claimed not later than 14 working days from date of Draw Notification after the
Draw date in which Prize was won. Any prize not claimed within this period of 14 working days will be forfeited.

These are your identification numbers:
TICKET NUMBER: 57522465896-530
SERIAL NUMBER: 3652-662
DRAW LUCKY NUMBERS: 47-14-18-23-31-45

To begin your claim please contact our licensed and accredited agent assigned to you with the verification form below via email:

Name: Mr. Thomas Harrison (Claims Agent)
Condor House 5-10 St. Paul's Churchyard London, EC4M 8AL
Email: microsoft_claimsofficedept4@yahoo.com.hk<mailto:microsoft_claimsofficedept4@yahoo.com.hk>

===============================================================
Name.........................................................
Country of Origin............................................
Place of Residence...........................................
Occupation...................................................
Sex/Age......................................................
Marital Status..............................................
Telephone/Fax................................................
Scan Copy of Passport Or License.............(identification on delivery)
===============================================================

Congratulations!!! once again.

Yours in Service,
DR.Jeffrey Davis (Operation Manager)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam