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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "mr jack Vanrenos " <xxaacc@excite.com>
Reply-To: jackvanrenosesq2000@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 21 May 2007 20:43:19 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Dear,friend





Dear Friend,

I am Barrister Jack Vanrenos, the personal Attorney to
Mr. Charles Jones a foreigner who used to work with BMW Rockingham
here in England. On the 2nd of August 2003, my client, his wife and
their three children were involved in a car accident along Gatwick
Express Road,All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their
lives. Since then I have made several enquiries to your Embassy to
locate any of my client’s extended relatives, this has also proved
unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to
trace his relatives over the Internet, to locate any member of his
family but of no avail,hence I contacted you.

I have contacted you to assist me in repatriating the money left
behind by my client before they got confiscated or declared
unserviceable by the Finance House where these huge deposits were
lodged. Particularly, the Finance House where the deceased had an
account valued at about US$20.7M has issued me a notice to provide
the next-of-kin or have the account confiscated within the next
Forteen official working days.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over
nine (9) months now, I seek your consent to present you as the next
of kin to the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at
US$20.7M can be paid to you and then you and I can share the money
55% to me and 40% to you, while 5% should be for expenses or tax as
your government may required. I have all necessary legal documents
that can be used to back up any claim we may make, all I require is
your honest co-operation to enable us see this transaction through. I
guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement
that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Awaits your prompt response.

Yours Sincerely,
Jack Vanrenos Esq.

_______________________________________________
Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com
The most personalized portal on the Web!

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam