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)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +22997652109 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • info_abcexpresscompany77@yahoo.de

Fraud email example:

From: "nbwaa llgb" <nbwaa.llgb@klikni.cz>
Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 17:47:03 +0200
Subject: CONTACT ABC EXPRESS COURIER COMPANY IMMEDIATELY


Dear Friend, Greetings!

I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank
Draft of $1.5M ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THAUSAND United States Dollars, but
I did not hear from you since that time. Then I went and deposited the Draft
with Info courier Company Cotonou Benin Republic before I travelled out of
the country for a 3 Months Course and I will not come back till end of
AUGUST.

What you have to do now is to contact the Info courier Company as soon as
possible to know when they will deliver your package to you because of the
expiring date. For your information, I have paid for the delivering Fee of
the Cheque.

The only money you will send to the Info courier Company to deliver your
Draft direct to your postal Address in your country is ($115 US)United
States Dollars only being Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so
far. Again, don't be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except $115
US Dollars.

I would have paid that but they said no because they don't know when you
will contact them and in case of demurrage.

You have to contact the Info courier Company now for the delivery of your
Draft with this information bellow;

Contact Person: DR BENJAMIN EZE
Telephone:+229-976 521 09
Email Address:(info_abcexpresscompany77@yahoo.de)

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address and Direct
telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and ask
them to give you the tracking number to enable you track your package over
there and know when it will get to your address.

Let me repeat again, try to contact them as soon as you receive this mail to
avoid any further delay and remember to pay them their Security Keeping fee
of $115 US Dollars for their immediate action.

Yours Faithfully,
BARR. ANTHONY ATIKU.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam