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:
  • "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • +2348032966083 (Nigeria, 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.
  • tnt_courierservices1@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs Joanna Benz" <joanna_benz@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: joanna_benz44@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2008 19:59:48 +0530 (IST)
Subject:

Greetings!

I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirm able Bank
Draft of $800.000.00 United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you
since that time. Then I went and deposited the Draft with TNT COURIER
SERVICE, West Africa, I travelled out of the country for some Months
Course and I will not come back till the end of September.

What you have to do now is to contact the TNT COURIER SERVICE 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 Charge,
Insurance premium and Clearance Certificate Fee of the Cheque showing
that it is not a Drug Money or meant to sponsor Terrorist attack in your
Country. You are advice to contact the courier services immediatey

Again, I would have paid for the Security Keeping fee but they refused
because they said they don't know when you will contact them and in case
of demur rage. You have to contact the TNT COURIER SERVICE now for the
delivery of your Draft with this information, All you have to do is
contact or furnish TNT COURIER SERVICE with your identification for
verification of the details there in their office: send them the following
details

Names in full, .............
Residential Address ...............
Telephone number, ..........

Contact Person: Mr. James Collins
Email Address: tnt_courierservices1@hotmail.com
Telephone:+234-803-296-6083

Contact them there and know when the Draft 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 $285.00 US Dollars for their immediate action.

You should also let me know through email as soon as you receive your Draft.

Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Joanna Benz

-- Sent at 19:07:10 on 08/02/08 through NITK (http://www.nitk.ac.in/) Email Gateway . AV scanning & Spam checking are done on this mail --

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam