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:
  • "huge deposit" (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)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • thmbeki1000@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Hassan Akin" <h_hassan45@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2006 04:41:22 -0600
Subject: reply

ATTN: Sir,
I am Barr.Thomas Mbeki, solicitor and notary public,
the personal attorney to Robert Tory, a national of
your country.On the 21st of April 2004, my client,
his wife and their only son were involved in a car
accident along Accra / Benin express
road.Unfortunately they all lost their lives in the
event of the accident, since then I have made several
enquiries to locate any of my clients extended
relatives and this has also proved unsuccessful.
After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided
to trace his relatives over the Internet, to locate
any member of his family but of no avail, hence I
contacted you.I contacted you to assist in
repatriating the money and property left behind before
they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by Bank
down here in Ghana where my client lodge these huge
deposits.
Particularly, the Bank where the deceased had an
account valued at about U.S$28.5 million U.S dollars.
Consequently, the bank issued me a notice to provide
the next of kin or have the account confiscated within
a short time. Since I have been unsuccessful in
locating the relatives for over some years now,I seek
your consent to present you as the next of kin of the
deceased since you share the same surname so that the
proceeds of the account valued at U.S$28.5 million can
be paid to you for both of us to share the funds: 45%
to me and 50% to you, while 5% should be for expenses
or tax as your government may require. I have all
necessary legal documents that can be used to backup
the claim.
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us
see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be
executed under a legitimate arrangement that will
protect you from any breach of the law.Please get in
touch with me through my e-mail to enable us discuss
further. you can also reply this mail to my alternate
email address: thmbeki1000@yahoo.com
Thanks for your kind co-operation
Barr.Thomas Mbeki

_________________________________________________________________
Is your PC infected? Get a FREE online computer virus scan from McAfee®
Security. http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam