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:
  • "huge deposit" (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)
  • "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)
  • "abidjan" (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.
  • +22997224020 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "michael strasser" <michaelstrasser17@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: michael_strasser@myway.com
Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 20:09:21 +0100
Subject: PARTNERSHIP BUSINESS

PARTNERSHIP BUSINESS

My name is Mr. Michael Strasser a Banker and accountant with Bank of Africa
Republic of Benin.I am the personal accounts manager to Engr.Hugh Karle,a
National of your country, who used to work with an oil servicing company
here in Republic of Benin.

My client, his wife, and their three children were involved in the ill fated
Kenya Airways crash in the coasts of Abidjan in January 2000 in which all
passengers on board died. Since then I have made several inquiries to your
embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives but has been
unsuccessful. After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his
last name over the internet, to see if I could locate any member of his
family but to no aveil.

Of particular interest is this huge deposit with our bank here in, where the
deceased has an account valued at about ($16 million US dollars).They have
issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or the bank will declare the
account unserviceable and thereby send the funds to the bank treasury.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over last 2
years now, I will seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the
deceased since you are a foregner, so that the proceeds of this account
valued at $16million US dollars) can be paid to you and then you and I can
share the money.

All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal
through.I guarantee that this will be executed under all legitimate
rrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. In your reply
mail, I want you to give me your full name,address, telephone and fax
number. The last name does not matter again because I will fix your
particulars in the file of the late customer as his next of kin.

If you can handle this with me, contact me immediately, my telephone number
is +229 97 22 40 20.

Thanking you for your anticipated cooperation.

Michael Strasser.

_________________________________________________________________
Don't just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search!
http://search.msn.com/

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam