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)
  • "transfer of your funds" (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 fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• 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.
  • +34618420622 (Spain, 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.
  • lotocatalunya120@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Harry Johnson <lotocatalunyafd@aim.com>
Reply-To: lotocatalunya120@aim.com
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2006 16:35:57 +0200
Subject: CONTACT YOUR PAYMENT CO-ORDINATOR MR.RICHARD PUYOL


ESPAÑA HEAD OFFICE
CALLE RAMBLAS MARINE 20
28001 MADRID, SPAIN
Dear Sir/Madam,

Congratulations!

With utmost joy, we are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lotocatalunya
Lottery Programs held on the 29th of July 2006, which drew a cash prize of
€1.003.000,00 Euro. Your e-mail address attached to Ticket/Code number
AES-7301-642-317 with Claim/reference number LCT/05, 11, 22, 28, 36, 40C.49R.0
drew these lucky numbers LBJ-49226- 041-754-64-291, Batch No: OBC-8445-1764-381,
which consequently won in the 6th category.

You have been approved to receive a cash prize of €1.003.000,00 Euro (One
Million and Three Thousand Euros ) Equivalent in US Dollars $1.278,578 USD (One
Million Two Hundred and Seventy Eight Thousand, Five Hundred and Seventy Eighty
USD). Be advised that due to incessant mix up in cash prize transfer to previous
winners, we advise that you keep your winning information confidential until

your claim has been processed and released to you. This security measure is
critical; it´s a measure put in place to avoid double claims, transfer and

unwarranted abuse of this program by other participants.

METHOD OF SELECTING WINNERS:

Participants were selected anonymously through a private ballot system (computer
ballot) from over 35,000 companies and 70,000 individual e-mail addresses all
over the world. At the final draw your e-mail address emerged as the winner of
our last jackpot.

This is promotional program takes place every week, and it is promoted and
sponsored by Orient software corporation (Orient Networks)/LOTOCATALUNYA. It is
met to reward some individuals and corporations who have devoted their time and
resources surfing the World Wide Web (www) with their email addresses. Remember,
all winning must be claimed not later than 18th of August, 2006, after the
expiration of that time frame, if your funds are not unclaimed, it will be
refunded to us and included in our next draws.

For due processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of
your choice and to enable the speedy evaluation and processing of your winnings.
We advice that you adhere strictly to procedures, to avoid any disqualification
and subsequent cancellation. File for your claim and provide the below
information to the Foreign Affair Department for due processing and remittance
of your winning prize.
1. Your winning information
2. Your full name, home / office address
3. Direct telephone/fax numbers
4. Amount won
5. Lottery date.


We hope you will use part of your cash prize to participate in our next 7 draws
in July 2006. Lastly, in order to avoid unnecessary delays/complications with
the transfer of your funds to you, please always remember to quote your Code

number in all correspondence with our Foreign Affair Department.

To begin your claim. Please contact the below info:

Mr. Richard Puyol
Foreign Affairs Department.
TEL: 0034-618-420-622
(0011-34-618-420-622
FAX: 0034-911-311-745
Email: lotocatalunya120@aim.com

Furthermore, should there be any change of your present address, please notify
us immediately to make the appropriate adjustment. Congratulations from the
management and staffs of LOTOCATALUNYA.

Yours faithfully,
Mrs.Eva Moreno
LOTOCATALUNYA
WEBSITE: www.lotocatalunya.net
NOTE: To check the status of your winning prize go to our website.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam