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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - that's what the scam is about)
  • "million united states dollars" (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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "abu bello" <abubello12@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: abubello74@yahoo.co.in
Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 18:11:00 -0900
Subject: FROM MR ABU BELLO,

Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Mr Abu Bello, I am the Accountant of the Late Mrs,Stella
Obasanjo the wife of the Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. Mrs,
Stella Obasanjo just died on the early hours of Sunday 23rd October
2005 in a hospital in Spain where she went for a surgical operation.
Before the death of Late Mrs,Stella Obasanjo she placed thee sum of
Twenty Seven Million United States Dollars (U.S.$27,000,000) in a
security company in U.K.

The Security Company does not know of the content of the boxes in
their vault, I happened to know of the content of these boxes because
I am the accountant handling all the late president’s wife financial
matters.

The documents of these funds are on my position so I seek assistance
to get the funds out of her family, does not know of these funds including
the president.I here by seek a trust worthy person who is ready so we can
complete this transaction as soon as possible and this person will get 30%
from the total sum. Please respond back with your full contact information
if you are willing to assist me on this transaction.
Please view web site bellow for obituary of late Mrs.Stella Obasanjo.
<http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/10/23/obasanjo.obituary/index.html>

Regards
Mr Abu Bello

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam