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:
  • "share the funds upon agreed terms" (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)
• This email message is a next of kin 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.
  • franklinkwaku@yahoo.es (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "afri001" <afri001@terra.com.mx>
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 06:27:56 -0600
Subject: Tsunami disaster


>From Mr Franklin kwaku
Thailand,
email:Franklinkwaku@yahoo.es

Dear Sir,

Compliments of the day. I must solicit your confidentiality and assure you that I am contacting you in good faith and this proposal will be of mutual benefit. I am Mr Franklin Kwaku , the manager of the treasury department of a Security company.

A customer of ours Mr. Peter Price, was killed with his entire family in a Tsunami disaster which occurred on the 26th of Dec 2004 in Phuket Thailand. Before his death, I assisted him in the deposit of some funds in our Vault for safekeeping. The funds have remained unclaimed since his death, and such unclaimed funds are appropriated and returned to the treasury as a matter of policy. Considering my lack of success in my bid to locate any of his relatives for over some month now, I hereby solicit your consent to enable me present you as the Next of Kin to my deceased customer. I am contacting you based on reason.

His last Will and Testament contains a residuary clause, giving his lawyer express authority to nominate the beneficiary to his residuary estate. The lawyer is aware of this whole process and will confirm you as the next of kin/Beneficiary to my late customer when it becomes necessary. As soon as this is done, you will give further instructions to the company, to transfer the deposited funds into an account you will provide, after which we shall then share the funds upon agreed terms.
When I receive your response, I will provide you with further details.

Thank you for your understanding.
Mr Franklin Kwaku

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam