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:
  • "million us 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)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "lagos" (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 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.
  • +2348022748521 (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.
  • maesm2@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "DR.MARTIN MASE." <masem12@hotmail.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: martinmaes88@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 11:59:00 +0100
Subject: FROM:DR.MARTIN MASE.

FROM:DR.MARTIN MASE.
CHAIRMAN CONTRACT AWARD DEPT NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM
CORPORATION(NNPC)
LAGOS - NIGERIA
CELL PHONE: 234-8022748521
E-mail:maesm2@yahoo.com

GOOD DAY

REQUEST FOR URGENT CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP IN RESPECT OF
THE TRANSFER OF US$40,000.000,00 (FORITY MILLION U.S DOLLARS ONLY).

I fervently pray that this letter soliciting for your kind assistance
will not cause any embarrassment to you. I am aware that we have never
seen each other before, neither have we exchanged any form of formal
contact or correspondence before. I am also, aware that this world is
full of dishonest people but I sincerely hope that my humble letter
will touch your kind heart to assist us and give us the opportunity of
being future inseparable.

I, on behalf of my other colleague in the office (NNPC) have decided
to solicit your assistance as regards to the transfer of the above
stated amount into your bank account. This fund arose from the over-
invoicing of various contracts awarded in my parastatal to certain
foreign contractors sometime ago.We as holders of official position in
our various parastatals, were mandated by this new civilian government
to scrutinize all payments made to certain foreign contractors, and we
discovered that some of these contracts executed were grossly over-
invoiced, either by omission or commission.

Also, we discovered that the sum of $40.000.000,00.(Fority million US
Dollars) was lying in a suspense account, although the foreign
contractors were fully paid their contract entitlements after
executing the said contracts.

We all agreed that the over-invoiced amount will be transferred (for
our own use) into a bank account provided by a foreignpartner, as the
code of conduct of the Federal civil service does not allow us to
operate with foreign accounts. We are therefore seeking for your
assistance based on the agreement been made within our selves the
documents of this fund will be speedily processed for immediate
remittance of the fund into your bank account.On successful remittance
of the fund into your account, you will be compensated with 30% of the
total amount for assistance while 70% is for me and my colleague.

We will avail you with our identities as regards our respective
offices when relationship is fully established and smooth operation
commences. we are at your disposition to entertain any question from
you in respect of this transaction, so, contact me immediately through
my e-mail or the above telephone numbers for further information on the
requirements and procedure.

Please, note that this DealL needs utmost confidentiality.

Yours faithfully,

DR.MARTIN MASE

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam