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:

• 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 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.
  • +447031940273 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +448704901003 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • haraldcontact03@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "STAR LIGHT BV INTERNATIONAL." <starlightbv@msn.com>
Reply-To: haraldcontact03@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 16:02:51 +0000
Subject: NOTIFICATION WINNING

STAR LIGHT BV LOTTERY 
Blenheim Tower Westerdoksdijk
40 1013 AE Amsterdam,

ARMSTERDAM,NETHERLANDS
Lottery Promotion
Customer Service
Ref:SLT/4080318306/04
Batch: 074/05/ZY369

 

WINNING NOTIFICATION.
We are officially informing you of the result of  STAR LIGHT BV Lottery International programs held as part of our promotional programs for the year 2005 in ARMSTERDAM,NETHERLANDS.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:5368/02 with Serial number:56475600545 188 drew the lucky numbers: 19-6-26-17-35-7, which subsequently won you the lottery in the 3rd category.You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of Five Hundred Thousand Euros in cash credited to file ktu/9023118308/03.

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Your funds have now been deposited and insured through our security firm for transfer to your chosen destination in cash. We also advice that you keep your winning information very confidential as our security policy demands to avoid double claims/impersonation and
unwarranted abuse of this program by some unscrupulous individuals.
The selection process was carried out through random selection in our computerized email selection system (ESS) from a database of over 500,000 email addresses drawn from all the continents of the world. This promotional program being the first of its kind will now take place annually and we hope with part of your winning you will take part in our next year Five Million Euros, International Lottery Draws. To file for your claim, our accounts department authorized to verify and process your claims for your total payment would be contacting you. (You will receive more information upon your acknowledgment of this email) via our designated claims officer,

Sir.Harald Ravender.
Email Contact: haraldcontact03@yahoo.co.uk
Tell:+44-703-1940273
Fax:+44-870-490-1003
Claims Officer.
Claims/Verifications Department.

 

CLAIMS/VERIFICATION FORM.

MR/MRS/MISS)
FIRST NAME:
LAST NAME:
RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS:
DATE OF BIRTH:
NATIONALITY:
TEL No:
FAX No:
SEX:
MARITAL STATUS:
OCCUPATION (POSITION HELD):
REFERENCE NUMBER:
BATCH NUMBER:
AMOUNT WON:

 

It is expected that you would forward the information as soon as possible to enable us attend to your winnings. Once we confirm your information,your payment would be processed.
After you have sent down this information,a certificate will be prepared for you.
You are advised to keep your winning numbers secret.To aviod double claim. Please Note that claims must be made not later than one week . After this date all winning funds will be included in our subsequent program. In order to avoid complications always quote your reference number in all correspondence.
Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform us as soon as possible.
Congratulations once more.

Sincerely yours,
Mrs.Rosita Ernest
co-ordinator.
STAR LIGHT INTL.

--

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam