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 beloved," (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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: Maria Baguda <mbaguda@sify.com>
Reply-To: mabaguda@sify.com
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 11:30:46 +0400
Subject: request for your peronl assistance


Dear beloved,

I am Mrs. Maria Baguda, wife to late Engineer Samuel Baguda a citizen of Ivory Coast, a cocoa merchant/government contractor till his untimely death on the 8th of June 2003.

I am writing to inform you of my wish to get linked up to you or your company with every hope that you can be a light in our intention to go into investments with you and your directives.

Available for this project/intention is the sum of Twenty one million us dollars (us$21,000,000.00).

The sources of these funds are certainly genuine but my husband's death was motivated by enemies/rebels who believed he was working for the government.

My husband was murdered in cold blood alongside two of my children leaving me and Samuel (junior) who is only 22, behind.

It was the fear of their intentions that forced us out of our country as we are presently taking refuge here in Ghana under the UN refugee camp.

We need your advice and directives on a way forward and we are ready to discuss terms and conditions with you.

I will be waiting to hear from you as the most important thing at the moment is to get the funds settled in any safe account(s) in your country or anywhere else.

Please be reassured that whatsoever decisions we will take must be favorable to both parties as we would want a life long relationship with you or whosoever shall bring smile to our faces again.

Please understand that I am writing out of pain as the situation here is so critical that I will be grateful for whatsoever will see me out of this environment at the most possible time.

I will be waiting to hear from you.

Regards,

Maria Baguda(Mrs.)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam