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:
  • "cotonou" (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.
  • +22993410871 (Benin, probably a 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.
  • walterakuve1200@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr Walter Akuve." <akuve@virgilio.it> (may be fake)
Reply-To: drwalter1@myway.com
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2006 13:22:47 +0200
Subject: Dearest Friend,


Dearest Friend,

Good day to you.

I am Dr Walter Akuve the director in charge of Auditing
and Accounting section of HALLMARK BANK of Africa Benin, in
West Africa,and also a special account officer of Mr. Ahmed
Yousuf Mustapha, a Lebanese.

He was a Seasoned Contractor with Benin Cement Company
in Benin Republic., who unfortunately died in the plane crash
of Union Transport Africaines Flight Boeing 727 in Cotonou,
Benin republic on the december 25,2003.

You will read more stories about the crash on visiting this
website:www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/
Before his death on the 25th December 2003, Mr. Ahmed
Yousuf Mustapha has a fixed deposit account with our bank
and no other person knows about this account or any thing
concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my
investigation proved to me that his supposed next of kin
died along with him in the crash.

Since then I have made several attempt to locate any of
Mr. Ahmed Yousuf Mustapha's extended relatives, this has
proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful
attempts, I decided to contact you.

I contacted you to assist in repatriating the fund left
behind by Mr. Ahmed Yousuf Mustapha before they get
confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank.
Consequently, Since I have been unsuccessful in locating his
relatives for over 5 weeks now.

I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to the
deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at
US$14 Million can be paid to you and then you and me can
share the money. 60% for me and 30% to you,while 10% will be
used to reimburse any expenses spent by both parties
involve.I have all necessary legal documents that can be
used to back up any claim we may make. All I require is your
honest co-operation to enable us see this deal through. I
guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the
law. All documents of the transaction will be destroyed
immediately we receive this money is confirmed in your
account leaving no trace to any place.
If this proposal is acceptable to you, then call me on
+22993410871 urgent and kindly email your full data to
me at Email: walterakuve1200@yahoo.co.uk
Thank you for your herening to this transaction.
Your Best Regards
Dr Walter Akuve.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam