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.
  • +31646457824 (Netherlands, 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.
  • staatlotecenter@netscape.net

Fraud email example:

From: "gerard thompson" <gthom001@msn.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2005 09:26:34 +0000
Subject: Claim Processing Form Attached.

Payment Legal Department.
Amsterdam- Netherlands.
Date: 29-12-2005.

Attn:Robert N. Hetz,


We the entire staff of STAATSLOTERIJ.NL wish to congratulate you for being
one of the lucky winners in this season's lottery promotion. This is an
independent promotion and is unconnected to any publication. No purchase
necessary. Be informed that this lottery promotion was conducted through the
Internet worldwide random selection, the participants and winners where
picked randomly through a computer ballot system and you have been picked as
one of the lucky winners. You are advised to treat this with all
seriousness.

Outlined herein are the terms and conditions for claiming your prize:
1.Our ultimate concern is to ensure that winners get their winning prize
without problems.The processing of your lottery winning will be completed
within Two (2) working days and subsequently you will receive the total sum
of One million Euros (1,000,000.00).

2.Upon certification that you are eligible your form will be processed. The
form should be properly filled because it will be screened of discrepancy.

3.A file will be opened for you by the legal department upon certification
that the informations provided in your duly filled form are true and
correct.

4.As the winner you are responsible for the legal charges for the
notarization and obtaining of the certificate of award. These charges are
non deductible.you will be updated of the exact amount to be paid and mode
of payment in our subsequent mail.

5.The notarization and acquisition of the certificate of award completes the
claim process, failure to do so will cause you to forfeit the prize.

6.Be informed that it is impossible to deduct from your winning. Your fund
is in an escrow account pending the completion of your claim processing.
Your notarized and documented file that will effect swift transfering of
your fund shall be forwarded to the paying bank.

The paying bank will contact you prior to transfering of your fund to you in
any manner you deem fit to receive it.

Congratulation.

Sincerely,
MR.GERARD THOMPSON.
(Foreign Transfer Manager)
StaatsLoterij International Promo.
TEL: +31-646-457-824
Fax: +31-847-542-053,
Email:staatlotecenter@netscape.net


NOTICE: This message, including all attachments transmitted with it, is for
the use of the addressee only. It may contain proprietary, confidential
and/or legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is
waived or lost by any mistransmission. If you are not the intended
recipient, you must not, directly or indirectly, use, disclose, distribute,
print or copy any part of this message. If you believe you have received
this message in error, please delete it and all copies of it from your
system and notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail. Thank you.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam