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:
  • "million us 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)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "dormant account" (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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: Davis Colombo <dcolos019@msn.com>
Reply-To: <davisco01@msn.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:07:23 +0000
Subject: from Davis Colombo





Hello,

I am an investment consultant working with Bank Of Africa at their Offshore Department Johannesburg South Africa . I will be happy to work this deal out with you if you have a corporate or personal Bank Account and if you are capable to keep TOP SECRET. I need strong Assurance that you will never let me down, if I transfer this money to your account. During one of our periodic auditing I discovered a Dormant Accounts with Holding Balance of US$ 52,000.000.00 {Fifty Two Million US Dollars).Sometimes a person will open a bank account, deposit money, and then disappear into the tin air. Banks are not always able to find out what has become of these silent customers.The main problem is that the customer resides abroad and due to bank secrecy, the bank cannot publish notices in the international press to locate the depositories.If you know that you are capable to handle this amount on trust and can keep secret and ready to take 40% of any amount I transfer to your account from the Dormant Account and I will take 60%. If you are interested contact me via Email:davis02colo@msn.com

I want to re-assure you that this business is risk free and you can send an empty account to receive the funds, provided that the account is capable to receive incoming funds. Tell me more about yourself, while I look forward to receive the above information by return mail:

Thank you for your time and attention.

Mr Davis Colombo.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam