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:
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • "is highly confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "is 100% risk-free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "foreign exchange" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• This email message is a orphan 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.
  • +27733724349 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • joha_bruma02@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: johan bruma <joha_bruma02@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <johan_bruma003@yahoo.ca>
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:48:16 +0200
Subject: FROM MR. JOHAN BRUMA



FROM MR. JOHAN BRUMA
#102 NELSON MANDELA AVE,
SANDTON, JOHANNESBURG
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
PHONE: +27-73-3724-349
E-MAIL: joha_bruma02@hotmail.com

FAMILY ASSISTANCE

Dear Harris,

You may be surprised to receive this letter from me since you do not know me personally, but for the purpose of introduction. I am JOHAN BRUMA the son of MR AUSTIN BRUMA, who was recently murdered in the land dispute in Zimbabwe. I got your contact from the South Africa Information Exchange (S.A.I.E) here in Johannesburg and I decided to write for assistance.

My late father was among the few black Zimbabwean rich farmers murdered in cold blood by the agents of the ruling Government of President Robert Mugabe for his alleged support and sympathy for the Zimbabwean opposition party controlled by the whites.

Before his death, he had taken me to Johannesburg to deposited the sum of Ten Million, two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$10.2Million), with the Security and Finance Company, as if he for saw the looming danger in Zimbabwe. The money was deposited in a box as consignment to the security company to avoid seizure, and also to avoid much demurrage from the security company. This money was earmarked for the purchase of new machinery and chemicals for farms and the establishment of new farms in Lesotho and Swaziland.

This land problem arose when President Robert Mugabe introduced a new land Act, which wholly affected the rich white farmers and some few blacks vehemently condemned the "Modus Operandi" adopted by the Government that resulted to rampant killings and mob actions by the war veteran and some political thugs. Precisely, more than thirty-one (31) people have been killed.

Heads of Government from the West, especially Britain and United States of America have voiced their condemnation of Mugabe's plan. Subsequently, the South Africa Government Community (S.A.G.C) has continuously supported Mugabe's new land reform Act. It is against this background that I and my family who are currently staying in South Africa have decided to transfer my father's money into a foreign account. As the eldest son of my father, I am saddled with the responsibility of seeking a genuine foreign account where this money could be transferred without the knowledge of my government who are tactically freezing our family wealth and the South Africa Government seem to be playing along with them.

I am faced with the dilemma of investing this amount in South African for fear of seizure and encountering the same experience in future since both countries have almost the same history. Moreso, the South Africa Foreign Exchange Policy does not allow such investment since I am an asylum seeker.

As a businessman who I must entrust my future and that of my family on his hands, I must let you know that this transaction is 100% risk-free. Therefore, if you accept Us we are willing to offer you 20% Of the total sum for your assistance, 70% will be for my family's investment in your country while 10% will be used for all expenses that might be incurred during the process of the transaction. If this proposal is acceptable to you, write me or call me on my number +27-73-372-4349, but you should know that this business is highly confidential and shall be kept within yourself. You can as well read more about the crises in my country and about this situation on the following sites:

http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/africa/08/12/violence.zimbabwe/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/zimbabwe/article/0,2763,562148,00.html

Best Regards

JOHAN BRUMA.

_________________________________________________________________
Download 30 FREE Emoticons for your Windows Live Messenger!
http://www.livemessenger-emoticons.com/en-za/

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam