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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • zamtama@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: zam Tama <zamtama@yahoo.fr>
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2009 15:12:29 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Urgent reply



Dear Friend,          
A pleasant day to you

 
 I am Mr. Zam Tama auditing and account manager in Bank Of Africa  (B.O.A) Benin Republic in West Africa . I have urgent and very confidential business proposition for you,during my audit exercise in my department I discovered an abandoned sum of $15,300,000.00 (Fifteen million Three hundred thousand United States) in an account that belongs to one of our late customers an Egytian estate tycoon (Hudson G Albert) who died along with his wife and entire family on 25th July, 2000, Air France Concorde flight 4590 plane crash. Before his death, he made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for Twenty four calendar months. Valued at US$15,300,000.00 (Fifteen Million Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars only) in my branch upon maturity.
 
  I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers the Elton Oil that Hudson G Albert died on Air France Concorde flight 4590 plane crash. On further investigation, I found out that he died without making "WILL” and all attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless.
 
   I therefore made further investigation and discovered that he did not declare any next of kin or relations in all his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank. This sum of US$15,300,000 is still sitting in my Bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one will ever come forward to claim it. According to our banking laws in this country, at the expiration of 10 (Ten) years, the money will revert to the ownership of our Government if nobody applies to claim the fund. Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you to act as the next of kin to Hudson G Albert.
 
  This transaction is very simple and 100% risk free, therefore I will like you to provide immediately your full name and address email and fax number and your bank Account in any part of the world, which you will provide will then facilitate the transfer of this money to you as the beneficiary/next of kin. The money will be paid into your Account for us to share in the ratio of 50% for me and 40% for you and 10% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during the process of transferring the money.

   Note: If you are willing and ready to assist me in this transaction, I will want you to indicate your willingness by sending the required information below:   
( zamtama@sify.com)
 
1. Your Full Name:...........................
2. Your Phone Number:...................
3. Your Age:......................................
4. Your Sex:.......................................
5. Your Occupations:.......................
6. Your Country and City:................
 
I look forward to your earliest reply by email.
 
Cordially yours,
Mr. Zam Tama

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam