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:
  • "to 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)
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "transaction is risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: blazeafolabi@b-o-africa.co.cc
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:53:54 +0000
Subject: YOUR URGENT RESPONSE NEEDED.


>From Mr Blaze Afolabi
Bill and Exchange manager,
Bank Of Africa Ouagadougou Burkina Faso.

My dear,

I chose to reach you through this medium because it is the fastest and
mostreliable way of communication, as I wish to sollicite for your urgent
assistance in what I strongly believe will be of great benefit to both of
us.

I am Mr.Blaze Afolabi an Accounts Manager with BANK OF AFRICA in Burkina
Faso. Recently, we discovered an abandoned huge of money valued at US$20.5m
(twenty million,five hundred US dollars) that belongs to one of our
numerous customers ,Who unfortunately died in the plane Crash of Union
Transport Africaines Flight Boeing 727 in Cotonou, Benin republic on the
December 26, 2003.

You will read more stories about the crash on visiting this website:*
* *http://edition.cnn.com/2003/ WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.
crash/*<http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/>
*
*
In the course of our investigation we discovered that the deceased died
along with his entire family in the same flight, thereby leaving no body to
come for the claim of his huge money deposit in our bank.

According to the banking law,the money will be bequeathed to the government
if it remains unclaimed with the next couple months. However, I don't belong
to that school of thought who proposes that the fortunes of unlucky people
be given to the government and I am fully convinced that no one would turn
up to execute the letter of Administration to claim his funds before the
next 2 months. Hence, I decided to contact you to come in as the next of kin
to my late customer so that the funds totalling $20,500,000.00 can then be
transferred to your nominated bank account in your country within 21 working
days after we have filed in your claims transfer application to the bank. I
will prepare every operation that will assist you to claim the funds as the
next of kin and everything will be left between you and me. The Share would
be 40% for you and 60% for me.

Again, I feel that you may be apprehensive and consider this amount too big
for you to defend. It does not matter, as there are documents to back it
up.This transaction is risk free and as the most senior account manager with
the bank is rest assured that all documents to enable you get this fund as
the next of kin will be carefully worked. Do not be bothered that you are
not related in any way to my late customer as I am in position to affix your
name as the next of kin.

Kindly send your reply enclosing your

(1)Phone Number ..........................
(2)Fax Number ............................
(3)Mailing Address. .......................
(4)Age .............................. ............
(5)Occupation................. ............
(6)Country.................... ............
(7)Full Name.......................... ....

to my private email address
blazeafolabi@b-o-africa.co.cc<atif_aban@b-o-africa.co.cc>
for confidentiality, to enable me talk to you before I send you the
certificate of deposit and other relevant information relating to this fund
transfer.

I need not emphasize the confidentiality of this issue and I therefore
appeal to you not discuss this request with anybody,even if you decline to
take full advantage of this great and urgent opportunity in my bank.

I await your urgent response through my private email address written below.
blazeafolabi@b-o-africa.co.cc <atif_aban@b-o-africa.co.cc>

Best regards.
Mr.Blaze Afolabi,

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam