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:
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • dave_brimley005@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "DAVID BRIMLEY" <dave_brimley@surfy.net> (may be fake)
Reply-To: dave_brimley005@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2005 15:04:49 +0100
Subject: COMPLIMENTS FROM DAVID BRIMLEY

Barr.David Brimley.
Laurence Pountney Hill
London EC4R 0HH
UK.
29th-October- 2005.

ATTENTION: Very Urgent

Hello Dear,
I am Barrister David Brimley, I have an urgent and very
profitable business proposition for you that should be handled
with extreme confidentiality.

On January 12,1997 a Consultant and contractor with the
British Water Corporation Mr. Lee Shin by name made a numbered time
Fixed Deposit for twelve calendar months valued at US$20.9M (Twenty
Million,Nine Hundred thousand United States Dollars Only) in a Financial and
Security Company.

Upon maturity they sent a routine notification in
accordance with the Company policy to his forwarding address but got no
reply. After a month they sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his
contract employers British Water Corporation that Mr. Lee Shin died in the
Korean Air Flight {801}, which crashed in Guam, on August 6,1997.
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/06/guam.passenger.list/
On further investigation, i found out that he died
without making a Will and all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless. I
therefore made further investigations and discovered that Mr.Lee Shin
did not declare any next of kin or relations in all his official documents
including his Bank Deposit paperwork in the Financial and Security Company.

This sum of US$20.9M i understand was kept in the
Financial and Security Company for safekeeping to enable him have direct and
immediate access to the funds for a contract that he intend to execute.
No one will ever come forward to claim it and according
to the Law of my country, at the expiration of 8 years the money will
revert to the ownership of the British Government, if nobody applies to claim the
fund. I decided to contact you to assist me receive his money for safe
keeping and investments on his behalf as everything will be taken over by the
British Government as provided in section 129 sub 63(N),
British Banking Editof 1961.

This prompted me to contact you.I want to front you as
the next of kin and beneficiary to the late client thereby
making you the legal beneficiary of the sum of $20.9 million
U.S Dollars that is presently in the Financial and Security Company.

I contacted you because it will be very easy for the
Financial and Security Company to believe since they
know me as his Lawyer and moreover i am
working with a key member of the Financial and Security
Company.

The transaction is 100% legal and totally free of risks
as all modalities has been perfected to ensure the hitch
free success of the transaction. I have also decided that
you will generously be entitled to 30% of the total
amount. Upon my receipt of your reply confirming your
willingness to assist me of this transaction, I will
immediately arrange and transfer all the
rights of ownership of this fund to your name to
facilitate your easy clearance and transfer of the
complete funds to your country.

You have nothing to worry about, as I will be there to
assist you in anyway necessary with all proper documentation.
If you are interested, send all possible suggestions and interest to
it to my private mail box:dave_brimley005@yahoo.co.uk
as soon as possible so that we can proceed.

I await your response urgently.

Regards,
Barr.David Brimley.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam