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)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +447035948665 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "YENGISI PAUL" <yengipaul@postino.de>
Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2009 23:56:51 +0100
Subject: Please Get Back To Me

Dear Friend,

It is indeed my pleasure to write you this letter, which I believe will be a surprise to you, as we have never met before. I actually got your e-mail address while searching the internet for someone to handle this transaction

I am Paul Yengisi. I have worked as a personal assistant to Mr Sean Burke, now deceased, who died aboard Korean Air Flight 801, which crashed in Guam in 1997.

Please do not disregard this mail and for avoidance of doubt you can verify this with the British High Commission in your country or visit
http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/06/guam.passenger.list/, as posted by CNN.

He died, leaving behind a deposit investment of six million, five hundred and fifty thousand pounds (£6,550,000.00) with an investment bank in Holland. I have made intense but futile efforts to locate any possible next of kin to come forward to claim his estate. This investigation has been unfruitful. I have scanned everywhere without any real success. This leaves me as the only person with the full picture.

Mr Sean Burke died without leaving a will. I am prepared to put you forward as the next of kin and the deposit released to you as the closest surviving relation. I am therefore seeking your consent to present you as the next-of-kin to enable us apply for the release of the money, before the money gets confiscated.

I am prepared to share the money with you in the ratio of 50/50. This will not be too difficult, counting on the fact that I will be on hand to guarantee that the funds is released to you.

If you are interested, then send me the following:
1) Your full name
2) Contact address
3) Telephone number/fax number
4) Age

Please reply urgently by email or telephone. As soon as I receive your information I will provide you with the requisite documents that you will send to the bank to enable you claim the funds.

Sincerely,

Paul Yengisi
30, Clerkenwell Close
London EC1R OAT, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 703 594 8665
Fax: +44 845 280 0223
Email: yengipaul@postino.de

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam