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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",000,000" (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)
• 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 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.
  • +447045716394 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • sweepstake_onlinelottery@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • ken_smith21@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "SWEEPSTAKES ONLINE LOTTERY DEPARTMENT." <sweepstake_onlinelottery@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 04 Aug 2007 21:04:03 +0200
Subject: !!!CONGRATULATION YOU ARE A WINNER!!!.

SWEEPSTAKES ONLINE LOTTERY DEPARTMENT.
P O Box 4539.
24 Lyndhurst Road,
London NW3 5PQ,
United Kingdom.
Ref:UK/9420X2/68.
Batch:074/06/ZY369.
(Customer Services)

Email: sweepstake_onlinelottery@yahoo.co.uk

Dear luck winner,

             !!!CONGRATULATION YOU ARE A WINNER!!!.
 We happily announce to you the draw (#718)of the EUROPEAN
AWARD LOTTERY, online Sweepstakes International program
held on 3rd,  August 2007. Your e-mail address attached to ticket
number:56475600545 188 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the
lucky numbers: Which subsequently won you the lottery in the
2nd category i.e match 5 plus bonus.

 

 You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £1,000,000 (One Million
pounds sterling) in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.
This is from a total cash prize of £5,000,000,00 shared amongst
the first four (5) lucky winners in this category i.e Match 5
plus bonus. All participants for the online version were
selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through computer
draw system and extracted from over100,000 unions, associations,
and corporate bodies that are listed online. This promotion
takes place bianually.

 

  Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our
European booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in
your play coupon.In view of this, your £1,000,000(One Million
pounds sterling) would be released to you by any of our courier
department.

 

Our agent will immediately commence the process to
facilitate the release of yourfunds as soon as you contact him/her.
For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning
informationconfidential till your claim is processed and your
money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim
your prize.This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid
double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please
be warned !!!

 

To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary
agent and provide him with the following details below:

VERIFICATION FORM:

 

1.) FULL NAME:
2.) AGE:

3.) SEX:
4.) ADDRESS:
5.) ZIP/POSTAL CODE:
6.) STATE/PROVINCE:
7.) COUNTRY:
8.) PHONE:

9.) OCCUPATION/POSITION:
10.) COMPANY:
11.) EMAIL ADDRESS:

12.) TICKET NUMBER:

13.) SERIAL NUMBER:

 

******************************************************
CONTACT THE FIDUCIARY AGENT VIA:
*****************************************************
Name:Kenneth Smith
Email: ken_smith21@yahoo.co.uk
Tele: :+447045716394
Foreign Services Validating Officer,
Sweepstakes Online Lottery Department,
P O Box 4539,
24 Lyndhurst Road,
London NW3 5PQ, United Kingdom.
*****************************************************
Congratulations from me and members of staff of SWEEPSTAKES
ONLINE LOTTERY DEPARTMENT.
Yours faithfully,
Mr.Kenneth Smith
SWEEPSTAKES ONLINE LOTTERY DEPARTMENT.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam