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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• 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.
  • +447031942033 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • catschole@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "catherine schole" <catherine_uk_62@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 19:15:30 -0500
Subject: Thanks

Dear Friend,

 I am Mrs Catherine Schole, Auditing Assistant in a Bank here in london
with branches all over europe. I have urgent and very confidential
business proposition for you.

 In my department, I discovered an abandoned sum of $6.2 million us
dollars (six million two hundred thousand united state dollars) in an
account that belongs to one of our foreign customers  an American
who unfortunately lost his life in the plane crash of Alaska Airlines
Flight 261 which crashed on January 31 2000, including his wife and
only daughter.Visiting site at:

 http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/

 Unfortunately I learnt that his supposed next of kin being his only
Daughter died along with him in the plane crash leaving nobody with
the Knowledge of this fund behind for the claim.
 
 This sum of US$6,200,000.00 is still sitting in our branch bank
and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end
of each year. According to Laws of the  bank, at the expiration of 5 (five)
years, the money will revert to the ownership of the Government
if nobody applies to claim the fund.

 Consequently, i will like you as a foreigner to stand in as the
next of kin . I need your full name and address
for  the attorney to prepare the necessary documents and affidavits
that will put you in place as the next of kin. The money will be paid
into your account for us to share in the ratio of 70% for me and 30%
for you.
 
Awaiting your urgent reply via my personal email:
 
catschole@yahoo.co.uk
 
Phone number +44-703-194-2033

Thanks and regards,

Mrs Catherine Schole.

Thanks!

---

Get the latest Windows Live Messenger 8.1 Beta version. Join now.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam