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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • +34654924666 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)
  • +34619201153 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • webmaster_lotto@mixmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Carmen Lopez" <carmen_lopez@mixmail.com> (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 15:14:02 +0100
Subject: Winning Notification

EUROMILLION LOTTERY PROGRAME
GUZMAN EL BUENONO 12, COSLADA- 28004MADRID, SPAIN
(TEL: +34 -619-201-153 FAX:+34-654-924-666)
When people receive a Prize Draw Invitation - just like the one on its way to you now - they often decide to
throw it away,thinking, no one ever really wins. And it is a fact that if you receive Prize Draw Numbers, but
choose to ignore them, you will NEVER have the good luck to win anything in our Draws.
Every day, people like you, with real chances to win thousands of dollars,decide not to believe in their Prize
Draw Numbers and let a guaranteed chance of winning a valuable cash prize slip away -simply because they don`t
regard nor believe to acknowledge an opportunity such as this........
FROM: THE DESK OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT.
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPT
REF NO: EGL/429331247/05
BATCH NO: 72/50685/MMH
DEAR WINNER,
EURO MILLION LOTTERY AWARD FINAL NOTIFICATION
We are pleased to inform you of the release today, the result of the EURO MILLIONS INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS PROGRAME held on the 17th of Feburary, 2006.
Your name was entered as a dependent client with reference number: EGL/429331247/05 and the batch number:72/50685/MMH.Should there be any discrepancy in your name and address, please contact EURO MILLION LOTTERY PROGRAMME, MADRID, ESPAÑA.
Your name attached to ticket number:0016-359142-07 with serial number:52201-61 drew the lucky numbers:1-6-27-39-47-48 which subsequently won the lottery in the third category.You have therefore been approved for a winning payment of EUROS 1,587,480.50(ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SEVEN THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY,FIFTY CENTS) in cash credited to file claims number: EGL/429331247/05.
This is from a total cash prize € 5,937,402.50 EUROS shared among the five international winners in this category. CONGRATULATIONS!
All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 25 countries (TWENTY FIVE) names from Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Middle-East, Europe, America and North America as part of our international promotions program which we conduct once every year.Your funds is now
deposited with EURO CREDIT COMMISSION S.A,MADRID,ESPAÑA insured in your name with bond policy coverage.Due to the mix-up of names and addresses,we ask that you keep this award from public notice until your claim has been processed and your funds remitted to you.This is part of our security measures to avoid double claiming or unwarranted taking advantage of the situation by other participants.
To begin your lottery claim please contact your claims agent,
MR.CARLOS SANCHEZ, foreign operations manager of EURO MILLION LOTTERY,MADRID,ESPAÑA on
Tel:+34 - 619-201-153 or email: webmaster_lotto@mixmail.com for processing and remittance of your winning prize money.
NOTE: All prize money must be claimed not latter than 12th of July 2006. After this date all funds will be returned to the MINISTERIO DE ECONOMIA y HACIENDA as unclaimed.
In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in every correspondence with us or your claims agent.Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
CARLOS SANCHEZ
VICE-PRESIDENT.
MRS. CARMEN LOPEZ
DIRECTORA
Nº-000166-00123154
24462225/008045160027.OCT/100000488

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam