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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • petyetget@hotmail.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "mike williams" <pyg_1957@hotmail.fr>
Date: Wed, 10 May 2006 21:04:05 +0000
Subject: Name : Billy Blumenthal

BARRISTER MIKE WILLIAMS ASSOCIATE
LEGAL & SOLICITORS
26 SOLEDARITE RUE DUE COMMERCE Rd
BLOCK 2 FLAT 3 BP 2564 LOME TOGO.
petyetget@hotmail.fr

I am Barrister Mike Williams, a solicitor at law,personal attorney to
Eng.P.B.Blumenthal,a national Of your country,who used to be a contractor
and importer here in Lome Togo. Herein after shall be referred to as my
client. On the 26th of december 2003,my client,his wife and their only
daughter were involved in a ghastly Plane Crash in a village called Adjarra
near Porto Novou after take off from Cotonou in Benin Republic where they
went for a Concert . All occupants of the plane unfortunately lost their
lives. Since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of my client's
extended family/relatives,To no avail.For more on the plane crash log on to
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3348109.stm

After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track his last name
over the Internet, to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.
I have contacted you to assist me in repatriating the fund valued at US$8.5
million left behind by my client before it gets confiscated or declared
unserviceable by the Security Finance Firm where this huge amount was
deposited.

The said Security Finance Company has issued me a notice to provide the next
of kin or have his account confiscated within the next twenty one official
working days. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for
over one and half years now, I seek the consent to resent you too as the
next of kin to the deceased since you have the same last names, so that the
proceeds of this Account can be paid to you.

Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the
sharing ratio and modalities for transfer. I have all necessary information
and legal documents needed to back you up for claim. All I required from you
is your honest cooperation to this projcet to enable us conclude it
smoothly. I do guarantee you that this transaction dose not in any way
attracts risk. It will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will
protect you from any breach of the law. Upon the receipt of your response i
will furnish you with detailed clarification as it relates to this mutual
benefit transaction.

KINDLY EMAIL ME AFTER GOING THROUGH THIS MAIL.
Marrital status...........
Age...........................
phone number.. ......
fax number.............
Best Regards.
Mike Williams Esq.
Lome Togo West Africa

_________________________________________________________________
Don't just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search!
http://search.msn.com/


--

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam