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:
  • "into your nominated bank account" (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)
  • "million 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)
  • ",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)
  • "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)
  • "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "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)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "contract award committee" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (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 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.
  • markdavis1010@inmail.sk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MARK DAVIS" <markdavis15@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: markdavis3030@inmaik.sk
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:02:46 -0700
Subject: YOUR URGENT RESPONSE IS NEEDED


FROM, DR. MARK DAVIS
CHAIRMAN CONTRACT AWARD COMMITTEE
NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORP. (NNPC).
LAGOS - NIGERIA.
EMAIL: markdavis1010@inmail.sk

DEAR SIR,

REQUEST FOR URGENT CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP IN RESPECT OF THE
TRANSFER OF US$18,000,000.00 (EIGHTEEN MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY)

I, on behalf of my other colleagues from different Federal Government of
Nigeria owned parastatals decided to solicit your assistance as regards the
transfer of the above stated amount into your bank account.This fund arose
from the over-invoicing of various contracts awarded in y parastatal to
certain foreign contractors. We as holders of official positions in our
various parastatals were mandated by this new civilian government to
scrutinize all payments made to certain foreign contractors by the past
military government, and we discovered that some of the contracts they
executed were grossly over-invoiced, either by omission or commission. Also,
we discovered that the sum of US$27,000,000.00 (Twenty Seven million United
States Dollars only) was lying in a suspense account, although the foreign
contractors were fully paid their entitlements after executing the said
contracts.

We all agreed that the over-invoiced amount be transferred (for our own use)
into a bank account provided by a foreign partner, as the code of conduct of
the Federal civil service does not allow us to operate foreign accounts.
However, we have succeeded in transferring some of these monies, precisely
US$9M (Nine million united states Dollars only) into a foreign account in
GENEVA (SWITZERLAND) last week, but unfortunately the provider of the
account has severed all forms of contacts with us as he has refused to
adhere to our earlier mutual agreement insisting that the total amount be
paid into his nominated bank account before disbursement will take effect.
If for US$9.Million (Nine million only) we are not compensated, how can one
guarantee full compensation on remittance of the balance of US$18 million
(Eighteen million United States dollars only).

We are therefore seeking your assistance based on the balance amount of
US$18 Million which can be speedily processed and fully remitted into your
nominated bank account. On successful remittance of the fund into your
account, you will be compensated with 25% of the amount for assistance and
services and 5% set aside for expenses contingency while 70% is for me and
my colleagues, This transaction is closely knitted and in view of our
SENSITIVE POSITION we cannot afford a slip, I assure you that this
transaction is 100% risk free. We will avail you with our identities as
regards our respective offices when relationship is fully established.
Questions are welcomed regarding this deal, so, contact me immediately
through my e-mail. Please, note that this DEAL needs utmost confidentiality

Yours faithfully,
DR. MARK DAVIS.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam