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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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.
  • equityfingtrust@mail.gr

Fraud email example:

From: "Carlos Perez" <lotbgt@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 04 Oct 2005 13:20:52 +0000
Subject: Email Address/Isp Nomination

Loteria Bogotá - Columbia
Lotera de Bogotá, Carrera 35 No. 26-14
Santa Fe de Bogotá, D.C.


CATEGORY: IV
LUCKY NUMBER:09657409-05
TICKET NUMBER: LBT-659057437
SERIAL NUMBER: LTBG-5410945-IV/05
TEMPORARY ACCOUNT NUMBER:0001723564
PIN NUMBER: JHU-CHK-56234

4th Oct., 2005.


Notice of Grand Prize Award (USD750, 000.00) CLAIMS FORM APPLICATION.

Dear Winner,

Loteria Bogotá - Columbia is launching its model computer balloting lottery
draws, developed and designed to satisfy the cravings of the ever-growing
number of participants in our various lottery programs. This is a
promotional draw that officially launches the new system. With funds accrued
exclusively from previous draws, payouts to all winners are guaranteed and
will be transferred in record time.

After randomly selecting 25,000 participants from an initial database of
300,000 emails and zoning all participants by their respective continents
from across the globe, we produced an extensive list from which you have
emerged as one of the winners of the Promotional Grand Draw prize.

Your prize award has been insured in your names and ready for claim. To
begin your claims therefore, you are advised on final notice and as a matter
of urgency, to contact our licensed and accredited claim agent for Overseas
Lottery Winners for the processing of your prize awards winning and payment
to your designated bank account after all Statutory obligations have been
concluded satisfactorily.

Contact thus:
Financial Director
EQUITY FINANCIAL TRUST INC.

A reputable finance firm in Athens Greece. Due to mixed up in some numbers
and names and for the purpose of confidentiality, be advised to keep this
award notification as secret from public notice until your claim has been
processed and your prize money remitted to your designated bank account as
this is part of precautionary measures to avoid double claim or misuse of
this program by some social miscreants. Hence, your prize awards’ winning is
confidential as our winners are at liberty to remain completely anonymous
until payment is effected to the benefit of the beneficiary. Our staffers
are sworn to secrecy, so you will be the only one to know what you've won
hence, this notification via this medium (EMAIL) is to avoid interception of
official letters.

On a final note, you are advised to begin your claim immediately hence,all
prizes awards must be claimed and disbursed within 21 days of this
notification as at elapse of the scheduled 'End of Claim' date will
authorized funds withholding for redirection as abandoned/ unclaimed without
notice.


Note: To enhance the processing of your claim by our accredited claim agent,
you are advised to officially introduce yourself to the claim agent and also
provide them with your valid means of your personal identification with a
copy of this awards notification for references.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Please contact your claims agent immediately to begin your claims process;
Mr. Alfred Lala
FINANCIAL DIRECTOR
EQUITY FINANCIAL TRUST INC.
EMAIL: equityfingtrust@mail.gr

If you have any question regarding your obligations as a winner, please
consult section (2b) of your contest entry form or contact the clearing
institution.

On behalf of the Loteria Bogotá - Columbia, I thank you for participating in
the contest and we wish you the best.

Yours truly,

Mr. Carlos Perez.

Lottery Director



--

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam