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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "foreign service manager" (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 fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• 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.
  • grupobilsecuri@aim.com

Fraud email example:

From: "anitarayn@terra.es" <anitarayn@terra.es>
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2007 13:17:15 +0200 (MEST)
Subject: Congratulation! Your e-mail has won a microsoft prize:


EXPERTLOTTO SWEEPSTAKES
REF: EXES/1351/GD7P.
BATCH: 241/00319/ EXESP.
PRICE TRACK Nº: EXES12/7WG

Sir/Madam,

AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION:
We happily notify you of the draw of the Email Lottery Ballot / World Gaming Board Sweepstakes program held on the 20th of April, 2007. Your email address attached to ticket Nr: 14-18-53-79 drew Lucky Nrs: 05-11-44-37-10-43, which consequently won you the lottery in the 3rd category. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of (€515,720.00. Euro only), in cash credited to file REF Nr: EXES/1351/GD7P. This is from a total cash prize of (€10,830,120. 00 Euros only), shared amongst the twenty-one International winners in this category.

All participants were selected randomly from the World Wide Web through a computer Ballot System drawn From over 50,000 unions that are listed online. Microsoft Corporation, names from Australia, New Zealand, America, Europe, North America and Asia as part of International Promotions Program, which takes place every three years. Payment authority of your prize - €515,720.00. Euro only already paid and insured in your name with our accredited Paying bank will be issued to effect immediate / swift transfer in the mode you will prefer and designate, upon satisfactory report on verification and validation recommendations provided by our Claims Department. To file for your claim, please contact your Claim Agent; Dr. Malcolm WELTEN, The Foreign Service Manager of GRUPO BILBAO SECURITY S.A. on Tel: + 346 056-057-43. E-mail: Grupobilsecuri@aim.com

For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential until your claim is processed and your money remitted to you and remember to quote your Reference and Batch numbers in all your correspondences. This is part of our precautionary measures to avoid unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants. All winnings must be claimed not later than 18th of May, 2007. After this date, all unclaimed funds will be withdrawn.
Congratulations once more from all our members of staff.

Yours faithfully,
Mrs. Hellen van Marsh
(Lottery Coordinator - Sweepstakes International).





Ahora tambi&eacute;n puedes acceder a tu correo Terra desde el m&oacute;vil.

Inf&oacute;rmate pinchando aqu&iacute;.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam