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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • +2348038947466 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • gben.nich@yahoo.com.hk

Fraud email example:

From: =?big5?q?CHRISTOPHER=20TOBY?= <ben.nich@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: christopher.toby@keromail.com
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2006 00:14:50 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Urgent Assistance Needed


§Ú¦³·sªº¹q¶l¦a§}¡I§A²{¥i¹q¶lµ¹§Ú¡Gben.nich@yahoo.com.hk

UNION BANK NIGERIA PLC

LAGOS NIGERIA

36 MARINA LAGOS

NIGERIA.

WEBSITE:www.unionbankng.com


FROM THE DESK OF CHRISTOPHER TOBY

MANAGER,ACCOUNT INFORMATION DEPT.

DEAR TRUSTEABLE FRIEND,

I REQUEST YOUR HAND OF PARTNERSHIP

I AM THE MANAGER ACCOUNT INFORMATION UNIT AT THE FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT OF THIS BANK. IAM WRITING YOU FOLLOWING THE IMPRESSIVE INFORMATION ABOUT YOU THROUGH ONE OF MY FRIENDS WHO WORKED WITH THE NIGERIAN CHAMBER OF COMERCE IN YOUR COUNTRY BEFORE HIS TRANSFER TO THE NIGERIAN TRADE MISSION IN HONG KONG. HE ASSURED ME OF YOUR CAPABILITY AND RELIABILITY TO CHAMPION A BUSINESS OF GREATMAGNITUDE LIKE THIS ONE,ALTHOUGH I DID NOT TELL HIM THE NATURE OF THIS BUSINESS BECAUSE OF THE CONFIDENTIALITY IT REQUIRES.


IN MY DEPARTMENT, I DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF USD25MILLION(TWENTY FIVE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY) IN A DOMICILIARY ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMERS WHO DIED IN A GHASTLY PLANE CRASH IN JANUARY 2000 ABOARD KENYA AIRWAYS ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY.

SINCE I GOT THE INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, I HAVE EXPECTED HIS NEXT- OF- KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM THE MONEY BECAUSE WE CANNOT RELEASE IT UNLESS SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR IT AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES. UNFORTUNATELY I LEARNT THAT ALL HIS SUPPOSED NEXT OF KIN OR RELATIONS DIED ALONG WITH HIM AT THE PLANE CRASH LEAVING NOBODY BEHIND FOR THE CLAIM. IT IS UPON THIS DISCOVERY THEREFORE, THAT I AND ONE KEY OFFICIALS IN MY DEPARTMENT NOW DECIDED TO MAKE BUSINESS WITH YOU AND RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION OF THE DECEASED FOR SAFE-KEEPING AND SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT WITH YOU SINCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND WE DO NOT WANT THIS MONEY TO BE RECYCLED INTO THE BANK'S BOUNDED ACCOUNT AS AN UNCLAIMED FUND.

THE REQUEST FOR A FOREIGNER AS NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND A NIGERIA CANNOT STAND AS NEXT OF KIN TO A FOREIGNER. I HAVE AGREED THAT 25% OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS FOREIGN PARTNER, THEREAFTER I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR THE DISBURSEMENT ACCORDING TO THE AGREED PERCENTAGES. PERSONALLY, I WOULD WANT YOU TO ADVISE ME ON THE BEST AREA OF INVESTMENT BECAUSE I AM CONSIDERING TO INVEST THE GREATER PROPORTION OF MY SHARE IN YOUR COUNTRY.

THEREFORE TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THE FUND VIA OUR CORRESPONDENT FINANCE HOUSE IN LONDON TO YOU AS ARRANGED, YOU SHOULD FIRST APPLY TO THE BANK AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR BUSINESS PARTNER OF THE DECEASED INDICATING YOUR ACCOUNT DETAILS WHEREIN THE MONEY WILL BE REMITED. UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY MAIL, I SHALL SEND TO YOU THE TEXT OF THE APPLICATION WHICH YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT TO THE BANK FOR THE BANK'S PROCEDURAL AUTHENTICATION AND IMMEDIATE REMITTANCE OF THE MONEY TO THE ACCOUNT YOU ARE GOING TO NOMINATE.

AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS MAIL, DO CONTACT ME AT ONCE THROUGH MY E-MAIL, AT ONCE OR BETTER STILL YOU CALL ME ON MY ABOVE TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR MORE CLARIFICATION. +++234-8038947466 AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE YOU TO INDICATE YOUR PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL TELEPHONE, FAX,CELLULAR AND E-MAIL FOR THE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION REQUIRED.

BE INFORMED THAT ALL NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS TOWARDS THE SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER OF THE FUND VIA OUR CORRESPONDENT FINANCE HOUSE IN LONDON HAVE BEEN CONCLUDED AND IT IS 100% RISK FREE.

TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY.

YOURS HOPEFULLY,

MR.CHRISTOPHER TOBY

++234-8038947466



- CHRISTOPHER TOBY

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam