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:
  • "transfer of your funds" (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)
  • "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • +2348084929255 (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.
  • uchechukwumadu_esq@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Uchechukwu Madu <uchechukwumadu_esq@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 10:38:52 +0100
Subject: URGENT MESSAGE TO MR.KIRK



MADU ASSOCIATES 12/14,ABIOLA WAY IKEJA,LAGOS - NIGERIA TEL/FAX: 234-8084929255 EMAIL:uchechukwumadu_esq@hotmail.com Attn: Mr.Kirk, Dear Sir, We are an Independent Legal Firm attached to the Office of the Presidency.Our services are in need in matters concerning Foreign payments. Your name appeared in one of the weekly payment schedule Newsletters from the Ministry of Finance and that is how we got to know about your payment and we saw the urgency it required for your payment to be transfered to your account before some greedy top officials in the Ministry of Finance will divert your hard earned funds to their own accounts.I have tried to call you several times today but your telephone line Was on answering machine and I droped an urgent message. It is true that there has been a lot of Litigation FOR and AGAINST your Payment.Some Top Officials in the Ministry of Finance actualy want to ensure you are not notified about your Payment.Their plan is for you to leave your funds so they will have access to lay claims to your funds and have it diverted.We are against this kind of inhuman act hence our decision to get you notified. To ensure your Fund is paid to you through Telegraphic Transfer, what we do is to ensure we fulfill every obligations with the APEX BANK who will inturn instruct your paying bank to carry out the transfer of your funds with delay and or deliberations.
All we need from you is a POWER OF ATTORNEY to empower us to help you claim your funds. We are prepared to be your representative here in Nigeria and are ready to step on toes just to make sure that you receive your funds. Our retaining/Professional fees is cheap and Negotiable and can be paid after you must have received your Payment.Our word is our bond. Contact us immediately through the above telephone,fax or email if you want to engage our services. Yours Faithfully, Uchechukwu Madu (Esq)
_________________________________________________________________
More than messages–check out the rest of the Windows Live™.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowslive/

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam