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)
  • "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)
  • "is 100% risk-free" (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.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "chinaexportco imports" <chinaexportco@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: jamesfranklinxxx@myway.com
Date: Thu, 09 Feb 2006 13:54:05 +0000
Subject: Greetings !!!

Dear Sir/Madam,
 
 
I got your contact from the World Trade Organization directory of the
US, Canada & European Union and I am very sorry to interrupt your peace
since you are not expecting to receive any mail from me. However, I was
obliged to do so due to the importance and urgency of the message. I
crave your indulgence,and want to reassure you that I mean well and
that it is only for our mutual good. So please do not be embarrassed.
I would like to request your assistance in a business transaction of
mutual benefit.
 
I am James Franklin , an American and a member of The
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), our committee is in
charge of contracts awards and payment for all contractors who executed
contracts in the rebuilding of Iraq. The contract award is still going
on right now by our Agency in Iraq.
 
A contract was awarded to BechtelCorporation of San Francisco,
California on April 17, 2003 which includes-
rehabilitation of power generation facilities, electrical grids,
municipal water systems, sewage systems, airport facilities, the
dredging, repair and upgrading of the Umm Qasr seaport and
reconstruction of hospitals, schools, ministry buildings, irrigation
structures and transportation links; goal is to repair or rehabilitate
up to 100 hospitals, 6,000 schools (out of approximately 25,000), up to
six airports, and one southern seaport.
 
The total contract sum was valued for US$680 Million (Six Hundred And
Eighty Million United States Dollars) The contract was fully executed
and commissioned and certified OK by L. Paul Bremer, the former U.S.
administrator of Iraq on the 4th of August 2005.
 
In the course of my work with USAID, I recently discovered that the
contract was over-invoiced by our agency to the tune of US$36.5M which
is now left in Security Deposit & Finance Company in Iraq. I have made
a deal with the committee members to have a neutral person stand as the
beneficiary and we will send the necessary paper work to the Finance
Company to back up the claim. That is my reasonfor contacting you.
Due to attacks by insurgents everyday and car bombs in Iraq, it is not
advisable that you come to Iraq to claim the cash payment from the
Security Deposit & Finance Company. We will have the consignment
shipped in your name to Germany so that you can fly there and collect
the money. The mode of sharing shall be discussed by percentage after I
have heard from you.this transaction is 100% risk-free as Bechtel Coporation has been fully paid all their benefits inline with our contractual agreement with their board of directors on the over-invoiced sum.

It might interest you to know that I have been able to arrange with two
UN Diplomats presently in Iraq to monitor Iraq's Oil-for-food
programme, to move the fund to Germany through diplomatic channels.
Please if you are not interested, I will be very grateful if you keep
this to yourself because I’m still in active service. I’m sure you will
handle this news with maturity. I’m presently in Iraq and I cannot
receive foreign calls for security reasons. We shall communicate by
email. I will only call you when necessary.

Please visit this website for more information:
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/rebuilding_iraq/index.asp
 
Yours sincerely,
 
James Franklin
Contract Award Committee
U.S Agency for International Development
Baghdad, Iraq

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam