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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million 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)
  • "00,000.00" (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 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "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.
• 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.
  • barristerbrown08@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "BARRISTER BROWN" <barbrown@hamdard.net.pk>
Reply-To: barbrown@live.co.uk
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:09:20 +0500
Subject: I NEED YOUR URGENT RESPONCE.


FROM THE DESK OF RICHARD BROWN.
ADMINISTRATOR AND TREASURER
I WITHOLHD MY OFFICE AND ADDRESS
FOR MY SECURITY AND PROTECTION,
UNTIL I HEAR FROM YOU.


DEAR SIR/MADAM,

I AM BARRISTER RICHARD BROWN, ATTORNEY AT LAW. A DECEASE CLIENT OF
MINE, BY NAME MR. SAMEEH HADDAD, WHO HEREINAFTER SHALL BE REFFERED TO
AS MY CLIENT, DIED AS A RESULT OF HEART-RELATED CONDITION IN 2006.

I AM CONTACTING YOU TO ASSIST IN REPATRIATING THE MONEY LEFT BEHIND BY
MY CLIENT BEFORE IT IS CONFISCATED OR DECLARED UNSERVICEABLE BY THE
BANK WHERE THIS DEPOSIT VALUE AT (US29, 000,000.00)TWENTY NINE MILLION
UNITED STATES DOLLARS) IS LOGDED. THIS BANK HAS ISSUED ME A NOTICED TO
CONTACT THE NEXT OF KIN OR THE ACCOUNT WILL BE CONFISCATED.

MY PROPOSITION TO YOU IS TO SEEK YOUR CONSENT TO PRESENT YOU AS THE
NEXT OF KIN / BENEFICIARY OF MY LATE CLIENT, SO THAT THE PROCEEDS OF
THIS ACCOUNT CAN BE PAID TO YOU THEN WE CAN SHARE THE
AMOUNT ON A MUTUALLY AGREED PERCENTAGE.

ALL LEGAL DOCUMENT TO BACK UP YOUR CLAIM AS MY CLIENT NEXT OF KIN WILL
BE PROVIDED. ALL I REQUIRE FROM YOU IS YOUR HONEST CO-OPERATION TO
ENABLE US SEE THIS TRANSACTION THROUGH. THIS WILL BE
EXECUTED UNDER A LEGITIMATE ARRANGEMENT THAT WILL PROTECT YOU FROM ANY
BREACH OF THE LAW.IF THIS BUSINESS PROPOSITION OFFENDS YOUR MORAL
VALUES, DO ACCEPT MY APOLOGY.

BE REST ASSURED ONCE MORE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE AND
THERE WILL BE NO HITCHES EITHER NOW OR IN THE FUTURE, AS EVERY
SUPPOSEDLY LOOSE ENDS HAVE BEEN KNITTED BY OUR LEGAL TEAM.
YOU ARE TO PROVIDE TO ME THESE INFORMATIONS COMPILED BELOW TO ENABLE ME
DRAFT A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING IMMEDIATELY:

(1) FULL KNOWN NAMES
(2) HOME CONTACT ADDRESS
(3) OFFICE ADDRESS
(4) OCCUPATIONAL STATUS
(5) AGE MARITAL STATUS
(6) DIRECT CELL PHONE NUMBER, HOME NUMBER AND FAX NUMBERS

I ANTICIPATE A POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM YOU.

BEST REGARDS,
BARRISTER RICHARD BROWN.
barbrown@live.co.uk
barristerbrown08@yahoo.co.uk

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam