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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "hundred thousand 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)
  • "await your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • david_joe22@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "david joe" <david_joe22@msn.com>
Reply-To: david_joe22@ny.com
Date: Thu, 02 Feb 2006 00:13:36 +0000
Subject: URGENT AND CONFIDENTAIL ASSISTANCE.

Dear Friend,

First I will like you to take your time to go over this mail carefully and
with patience.
Please, this is a matter of urgency,this is because I need your help and I
need it very quickly too.

At this stage I will like to introduce my self.I am Mr David Joe a Senior
Personal Assistant to the
first lady of the Federal republic of Nigeria who died on the
22nd,October,2005 in a Spanish Hospital after
undergoing surgical
operation.www.bbc.co.uk/africalives/myafrica/blogs/005017/ Shortly
before her death the First Lady,Chief Mrs Stella Obasanjo gave me a very
huge amount of money to be transfered to an off-shore Security Company
abroad.

In any case the funds was successfully transfered and it is currently in a
safe deposit abroad.
All the papers to legally claim the funds are with me but safely put in a
place that nobody can discover except i say so, the amount involved in this
transfer
is US$12.5m (Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars)
.
I need your urgent assistance in getting this fund out of the Security
company before her husband begins to find a way of recovering
her funds abroad.So that upon my retirement,we can successfully invest this
fund together in your country under your supervision.

Therefore, I sincerely want your help in the area of investment
opportunities
in your country. In Research,Real estate and properties,computers and other
things that will bring real returns for my investment worth.
Please, can you help me by receiving the funds as the beneficiary?I assure
you that there is no risk involved as the funds
is already out of Nigeria
.
All you need is just the papers to put forward before the Security company
and the funds will be released to you promptly.
These papers I am ready to send to you as soon as I hear from you with
personal information about your self.
Be informed that you will be compensated with 20% of the totall sum upon
collection if you agree to help me, and the rest we can put
into business.I await your urgent response. I will fill you in with more
information when I have heard from you.
Please do provide me with your personall phone and fax numbers and your
contact addresss when responding.

Thanks and God bless as I look forward to your favourable reply.
You can also reach me at this alternative email address
david_joe22@yahoo.com
Yours sincerely,
MR DAVID JOE.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam