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 about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "await your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • +447040125268 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • richard@yahoo.co.uk
  • richard@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "Griffin Richard" <griffin@griffin321.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 12:37:11 +0000
Subject: CONSIDER THIS AND GET BACK TO ME

ATTN: Parks,


I seek your indulgence in sending you this mail, and I want you to coincide
upon reading the content.

My names are Barrister Griffin Richard. I am a Fifty-One (51) years old
established Lawyer, a member of the Zimbabwe Bar Association and the
attorney at law to Engineer. Dennis Parks, who was formerly a personal aide
to one of the top ministers of president Mugabe's former Government. Also,
he headed the comittee for diamond and gold research on Zaire's natural
exchange programme to Zimbabwe.

Due to his position and closeness to the ministers, he was able to
manipulate with a substancial amount of diamond and gold with worth
amounting to US$11.5million and deposited the money in a safe and secured
security company in Spain.

Because of the civil war that occured in Zimbabwe, which took my clients
entire family. He was taken to south africa as a refugee, where he
eventually became partially paralised, until his untimely death in November
2003.

I am writing you this letter for your consent to pronounce you at the
security company as my late clients next of kin, so that together we can
work out things and have the consignment cleared and deliverred to your safe
hands.

Be informed that you have nothing to worry about with regards this fact.As
the lawyer of the deceased, the law states that I have the final say on who
is and is not the beneficiary next of kin of the deceased's estate and
properties.I am in possession of vital information and legal documents
needed to back you up for this claims. All I require from you is your honest
co-operation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee that
this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement.

I await your urgent response to enable us start this transaction in earnesty
so we can proceed and also discuss the sharing ratio for the fund between us
and the procedures to make the claims. As soon as i get your consent, i will
Travel Down to the security company for the change of beneficiary in your
favour.

I strongly believe that associating with you to embark on this and other
business ventures will derive a huge success thereafter. If you have any
questions, do not hesitate to include them in your reply. All correspondent
mail response should be directed to my alternative email
address:(griffin321_richard@yahoo.co.uk). You can also reach me on telephone
number:+447040125268


Thanking you in anticipation.

Best regards,
Griffin Richards,

URGENT PLEASE!(griffin321_richard@yahoo.co.uk)



--

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam