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)
  • "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a "dying merchant" scam.
• 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.
  • hassan_ammed001@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Hassan Ammed" <hassanammed@netscape.net>
Date: Sun, 05 Mar 2006 19:10:10 -0300
Subject: Charity


Dear Sir/Madam,

As you read this,I don't want you to feel sorry for me, because, I believe
everyone will die someday.
My name is Hassan Ammed a merchant in Dubai,in the U.A.E.I have been
diagnosed with esophageal
cancer.It has defiled all forms of medical treatment, and right now I have
only about a few months to live,
according to medical experts. I have not particularly lived my life so
well, as I never really cared for
anyone (not even myself) but my business. Though I am very rich, I was
never generous, I was always
hostile to people and only focused on my business as that was the only
thing I cared for. But now I regret
all this as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting to have
or make all the money in the world.

I believe when God gives me a second chance to come to this world I would
live my life a different way
from how I have lived it. Now that God has called me, I have willed and
given most of my property and
assets to my immediate and extended family members as well as a few close
friends. I want God to be
merciful to me and accept my soul so, I have decided to give also to
charity organizations, as I want
this to be one of the last good deeds I do on earth. So far, I have
distributed money to some charity
organizations in the U.A.E, Algeria and Malaysia. Now that my health has
deteriorated so badly, I cannot
do this myself anymore I once asked members of my family to close one of my
accounts and distribute the
money which I have there to charity organization in Bulgaria and Pakistan;
they refused and kept the
money to themselves. Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not
to be contempt with what
I have left for them.

The last of my money which no one knows of is the huge cash deposit of
eight million dollars
$8, 000, 000, 00 that I have with a finance/Security Company abroad. I will
want you to help me collect
this deposit and dispatch it to charity organizations.

Please endeavor to reply me through my direct email address of
hassan_ammed001@yahoo.com for
confidentiality so that I can give you further information on the project.
I'll be checking my personal mail
awaiting your quick response. For your time and honesty, I have set aside
20% for you.

Hassan Ammed.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam