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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • frankmensah@email2me.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr. Frank Mensah" <frankmensah@katamail.com> (may be fake)
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 12:54:14 +0000
Subject: In Good Faith

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Dr. Frank Mensah, the Chairman, Contract Awarding and Tender Committee
of Economic Community of West African states with sub-head in Accra Ghana.

I wish to transfer the sum of (Fifteen million united State dollars) US$15,000,000.00
to your personal or Company Account. This fund originated from over invoiced Contract
bills I awarded for the supply of Food and Medical Equipment to the Ecomog peacekeeping
mission during Liberia and sierra-Leone civil wars.

This over Invoiced sum was deliberately hatched out and carefully protected with all
attendant lope holes Sealed off. The original executors of the contracts have been paid
through Eco Bank. This over invoiced sum is suspended in an escrow account awaiting
claims by any foreign person/company I may front as the owner.

Based On the law and ethics of our service to ECOWAS, we as Civil servants are not
allowed to operate a foreign Account.I offer you 20%, 75% for me, while 5% is set aside
to reimburse expenses incurred in the project.I expect you to keep this project very
confidential as disclosing it might jeopardize our success. There is no risk involved.

Call me for more details on the procedure via my
mobile line, +233-243 70 70 89

Best regards,

Dr. Frank Mensah
E-mail: frankmensah@email2me.net

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam