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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• 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.
  • +447024015271 (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.
  • fid_agentbrown@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "National Lottery" <winningnotice2006@msn.com>
Reply-To: fid_agentbrown@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 19:29:39 +0000
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
UK-LOTTO HEADQUARTERS:
45 ELMDENE RD WOOLICH,
SE 16 TZ,UNITED-KINGDOM.
Customer Service
Ref: UK/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369



WINNING NOTIFICATION

We happily announce to you the draw (#1049) of the UK
NATIONAL LOTTERY, Online Sweepstakes International
Program held on 11th January 2006.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket
number: 56475600545188 with Serial number 5368/02 drew the
lucky numbers: 5 6 8 19 34 38 11 which subsequently
won you the Jackpot prize. You have therefore been
approved to claim a total sum of £ 2,593,004.00 (Two Million
fIVe Hundred and Ninety Three Thousand and Four
Pounds Sterling) in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03.
All participants for the online version were selected
randomly from the World Wide Web through a computer
draw system and extracted from over 100,000 unions,
associations, and corporate bodies that are listed
online. This promotion takes place weekly.
Please note that your lucky winning number falls
within our European booklet representative office in
Europe as indicated in your play coupon. In view of
this, your £ 2,593,004.00 (Two Million
fIVe Hundred and Ninety Three Thousand and Four
Pounds Sterling) would be released to you by any of our payment offices in
Europe.
To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary agent:
Mr. Peter Brown
Email: fid_agentbrown@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: +44-702-401-5271
Provide him with the information below:
1.Name:
2.Address:
3.Marital Status:
4.Occupation:
5.Annual Income
6.Age:
7.Sex:
8.Nationality:
9.Country Of Residence:
10.Telephone Number:
11.Mobile/Cell Phone Number:
12.Fax Number:
13.Email Address:
14.Winning Numbers:
15.Amount Won:
That way your Winnings Certificate and all other
relevant documents/paperwork can be prepared for you.
You would be required to show an instrument of
identification when cashing your cheque i.e. Drivers
license or International passport.
For security reasons, you are advised to keep your
winning information confidential till your claims is processed and your
money remitted to you in whatever
manner you deem fit to claim your prize. This is part
of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming
and unwarranted abuse of this program. Please be warned.
All winnings must be claimed not later than 26th January 2006.
After this date all unclaimed funds will be included in the next stake.
Anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.
Good luck from me and members of staff of the U.K
NATIONAL LOTTERY.
Yours faithfully,
Sir PHILIP SPENCER
Online Co-ordinator for U.K NATIONAL LOTTERY
Sweepstakes International Program.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam