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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "international lottery programme" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "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)
• 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 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.
  • payment_division_4000@walla.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • payment_division_4000@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: SWEEPSTAKE LOTTERY PROMO <kidrocker37@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:16:10 -0400
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS,YOU HAVE WON $400,000USD

FROM THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL
PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARDS DEPARTMENT AUSTRALIAN
INTERNATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES LOTTERY CORPORATION;

DATE:29/08/2008
REF NUMBER:475061725
BATCH NUMBER:7056490902/188
WINNING NUMBER:GB8701/L PRC

CONGRATULATIONS,YOU HAVE WON $400,000USD

Dear Sir/Madam,
We are delighted to inform you of your prize
release on the 28th of August 2008 from the
AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAMME,Which
is fully based on an electronic selection of
winners using their e-mail addresses,Your name
was attached to ticket number; 4706172507056490902
serial number 7741137002.

This batch draws the lucky numbers as follows
5-13-33-37-42 bonus number 17,which consequently
won the lottery in the first category. You have
been approved a lump sum of $400,000.00,
(FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS)
in cash credit file ref: ILP/HW 47509/02
from the total cash prize shared amongst
eight lucky winners in 2nd category.

All participant were selected through computer
balloting system drawn form Nine hundred thousand
E-mail addresses from Canada,Australia,United
States,Asia,Europe,Middle East,Africa and
Oceania as part of our international promotions
program which is conducted annually.This Lottery
was promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate
of some international companies as part of their
social responsibility to the citizens in the
communities where they have operational base.

Furthermore your detail (e-mail address) falls
within our Nigeria representative office in
Africa as indicated in your play coupon and your
prize of US$400,000.00 will be released to you from
this regional branch office in NIGERIA.We hope with
part of your prize,you will participate in our end
of year high stakes for US$2.6 Billion international
draw.

HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE: Simply contact our fiducial
Agent.DR. MATHEW RALPHEL.
Email:payment_division_4000@walla.com
EMAIL;payment_division_4000@yahoo.com


To file for your claim.Please quote your reference,
batch and winning number which can be found on the top
left corner of this notifications well as your full
name,address and telephone number to help locate
your file easily.

For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep
this information confidential from the public until
your claim is processed and your prize released to
you.This is part of our security protocol to avoid
double claiming and unwarranted taking advantage of
this pro gramme by non-participant or un official
personnel.

NOTE,all winnings must be claimed before 20th of
September 2008, otherwise all funds will be returned
as Unclaimed and eventually donated to charity
organization. Congratulations once again on your
winnings!!!Best Regards REV FR.DUCK MAYOR.
(co-ordinator).

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.
CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT DR.MATHEW RALPHEL.
EMAIL;payment_division_4000@walla.com
EMAIL;payment_division_4000@yahoo.com

YOU MUST CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT WITH THE E-MAIL
ADDRESSES THAT HAVE BEEN INDICATED FOR CLARIFICATIONS.

Also your prize money must be sent to you direct from
fixed deposit account without any design of deduction
or subtraction.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam