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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "hundred thousand 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)
• 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.
  • +27834657626 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "James Bongani" <jamesbongani_1055@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: jamesbongani_01@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 05 Oct 2006 14:33:41 +0200
Subject: REQUEST FOR URGENT ASSISTANCE

From: James Bongani
203 kath/Frank str
Johannesburg,South Africa.
Tel :+27 83 465 7626

Attn:Dear Sir/Madam,



Good day. This very confidential request should not come as a surprise to
you. But it is because of the nature of what is happening to me and my
family urged me to contact you. I had already sent to you this same letter
two weeks ago, but I am not sure if it did get to you since I have not heard
from you.
My name is James Bongani, the second son of Mr. Thabo Bongani, of
Beitbridge, Zimbabwe. At the height of the present political crises in our
country, in which the white farmers in our country are being slained and
ripped off their belongings by the supporters of our president, Mr. Robert
G. Mugabe, in their efforts to reclaim all the white owned farms in our
country.

My father and my elder brother were brutally slained to a painful death in
their struggle to protect some white farmers who ran to take refuge in our
farm. My father, during his life on earth was a prominent indigenous farmer
and also trades on Diamond and Gold from some countries in Africa. He
publicly opposes the crude policies and crime against humanity on the white
farmers by Mr. Robert Mugabe and his followers.

I therefore decided to move my mother and younger sister to the Republic of
South Africa for safety of our lives, where we presently seeked for
political asylum, temporarily. During my father’s life on earth, he had
WILLED the sum of Fifteen million Six hundred Thousand United States dollars
(US$15,600.000.00) to be shared between me and my elder brother before he
met his untimely death on that faithful day. This he had deposited with a
finance and security company in the Republic of South Africa from where he
operates most of his Gold and Diamond trades to our country.

In view of this and as the only surviving son of my father, and with the
present clamp down, killing and confiscation of assets of supporters of the
white farmers presently in our country, I therefore humbly wish to notify
you of my intention to use your name and address as my Trustee in lifting
this money out of Africa finally, to the Europe office of the finance
company and also seek for your honest and trustworthy assistance to help me
clear and accommodate this fund when it gets over there, before it is
dictated out and confiscated by the president Mugabe’s regime. My mother and
myself have agreed to make the provisions;

1.That 20% of the total money will be given to you for your assistance in
clearing and accommodating this fund. 2.That 10% of the total money will be
set aside for taxation and any other expenses that might be incurred in the
course of this transaction, while the remaining 70% will be for me and my
family for our future investment purposes which will depend on your
assistance. Please I hope you will grant and view this very request with
favour and much understanding of our situation now, and will be a very
honest and reliable person to deal with.

And also bearing in mind the confidential nature of my request to protect my
family and yourself rendering the help.

Thanking you in anticipation of your urgent response as soon as you read
this very request.
Best regards,

James Bongani
{For the family}

_________________________________________________________________
See their smiles, hear their laughter with Windows Live Messenger!
http://messenger.live.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam