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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +448701376852 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "Richard Briggs" <richardbriggs006@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: richardbriggsuk@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 00:44:52 +0000
Subject: Please read

Dear Sir/Madam,
 
First I must apologies for intruding into your private email address: Knowing the fact that we do not know or have meet each other. It is due to the urgency from my clients that I am writing you and I want you to read through my letter with great zeal to participate in this business and I promise you that your involvement will not be regretted.
 
I am Richard Briggs, An investment lawyer based in the United Kingdom of Wattle Group Investment which is an investment scheme company that raised more than $160 million from about 2700 investors across Australia carrying out its normal duties until 2001 when the Australian Securities and Investment Commission closed down the scheme because it was not paying its clients the proceeds of their investments as agreed and there was no trace of investment of the monies collected from its clients to any Australian Bank or any bank in the world. You can confirm the above from www.moneymanagement.com.au/articles/ae/0c004cae.asp
 
The funds made from the Investment Scheme were invested in an investment account with a bank here in London and the funds were deposited in the investment account with a Panama cooperation as the beneficiary. The sum of money currently in the investment account is $64m (Sixty-Four million United States dollars). The sum includes accumulated interest. I have been mandated by my clients of Wattle Group to find a neutral partner to work with me and ensure that the funds are put into another banking system for further investments.
 
Therefore I am contacting you to assist my clients in receiving the funds in question as the beneficiary through the banking system for numerous investments projects we shall both manage. I have made well established contact with a trust firm here in London responsible for Change of Investment Ownership that would help change the beneficiary of the investment bank account legally to a new beneficiary and also help in transferring the funds to a new beneficiary bank account.
 
For your assistance we are willing to offer you 20% of entire funds in the investment account and will invest a major part of the remaining funds in investment projects we shall both manage in your country. There is no risk involved in this business transaction. The process involved to change the beneficiary of the investment account to your name as the new beneficiary will be achieved legally.
 
In conclusion, if you are willing to assist us in achieving our goal please indicate that in your reply message to me via email or via fax to +44 8701376852 and I will furnish you with more details on how we shall proceed.
 
 
Best regards.
 
Richard Briggs

---

Save time by starting a search from any Web page with the MSN Search Toolbar-FREE!

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam