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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "microsoft mega jackpot lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • ",000,000" (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 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.
  • +447045720448 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTERY U.K. <micro@onlinenotification.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2007 10:30:25 +0000
Subject: LETTER OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT










MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTERY U.K.






REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/LBATCH: 4583JL/WIN

MICROSOFT EMAIL LOTTERY AWARD PROMOTION: UNITED KINGDOM
THE OAKLAND ROUNGE
52 WATERDEN ROAD,
HACKNEY, LONDON,
UNITED KINGDOM
E15 2EE
LETTER OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT


Dear ALARIK LUFTMACHER,

We acknowledge the receipt of your mail.

First and foremost Congratulation on your winning.

This programmed was design to encourage the use of the Internet in developing nations but presently we are for now involving all the continents in the world. Winners are normally pick from the Internet depending on the usage and also your luck is based on if you are on the Internet when our computer balloting is taking place.

You have been approved for lump sums pay out of £460,000.00 GBP in cash Credited to file REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L and winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100. Selection process was carried out through random selection in our computerized email selection machine (TOPAZ) from a database of over 1,000,000 email addresses drawn from all the continents of the world.

The major computer companies in the world contributed to this programmed with little contribution from the United Nations. Also this programmed is cover and approved by the law of World lottery Association(WLA) and also of various countries of the European Union.

We wish to inform you that you are urgently required to forward your details. This will enable our account department to begin with the processing of your fund.

Subject upon your receipt to this mail, we will begin the processing and Zoning of your fund through any of our payment offices spread across the continents.

Your fund (Certified Cashiers Cheque) has been insured with your REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L and winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100.

Signed,
The Claims Processor:Name: Mrs. Daines Denzel


E-mail: micro@onlinenotification.co.uk
Tel: +44 704 572 0448
Fax: +44 702 572 0449


Mrs. Daines DenzelClaims Officer U.K.










Please remember to quote your reference and winning numbers in all correspondences with your this office. You are to keep all lotto information away from the general public especially your ticket number and ballot number.
(This is important as a case of double claims will not be entertained)





LOTTERY SPONSOR






Microsoft Corporation U.K.






____________________________________________________________________________________
Microsoft Electronic Mail Lottery is approved and Licensed by the The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam