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:
  • "top of the day to you" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • dr.solomokoffi@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: koffisolomon <drsolomonkoffi@yp.com.hk>
Reply-To: dr.solomokoffi@yahoo.fr
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 05:52:33 +0000
Subject: DEAR,INQUIRIES UPDATE ME URGENTLY!!!.



Dear Friend,

Top of the day to you. Let me crave your indulgence to introduce
myself to you, I am Dr.Solomon Koffi staff of one of the leading Banks
here in Cotonou Benin Republic. I will want to solicit for your
assistance to help receive an inheritance sum due for claim to one of
our late customers, Mr. Thomas Eugene Green, He died in automobile
accident with members of his family.

I happen to be the Resident internal controller in the branch where he
deposited the total sum of $9.7Million USD on the 6th of June 2005, It
was discovered from his personal attorney that he did not state in his
WILL any next of kin to claim this funds, we have sent routine
notification to his forwarding address and discovered that he does not
have anyone to claim this funds.

It is very unwise to allow this man's fruit of labour to go into the
wrong hands because no one has come forward to claim the funds.

Thus my proposal to you is to stand as hisnext of kin to claim the
funds, His personal attorney has worked things out and I am willing to
furnish you with neccessary information the bank here will demand from
you during the process of this transaction.

Please if you are willing to assist, I will want you to furnish me
with your particulars, so as to enable me give you further details.
Please, you have to be an honest and trusted person. Please contact me
on my alternative email on dr.solomokoffi@yahoo.fr for more

information with the below informations filled out.

NAME: .............................
MAILING ADDRESS:...................
AGE: ..............................
STATUS:............................
STATE/COUNTRY:.....................
TEL/FAX NUMBERS:...................
CELL PHONE:........................
COMPANY NAME: .....................
OCCUPATION: .......................
I look forward to working with you.

Regards,
Dr.Solomon Koffi

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam