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:
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• 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.
  • +447045714310 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • master_card_unit@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "jon wellington" <jon-wellington@coldwellbanker.ca>
Reply-To: master_card_unit@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:12:14 -0400
Subject: Mr.Christaino Rodriguez





MasterCard® / Visa® Award Promotion
24 Shelton Street London, WC2H 9UB
CLAIMS OFFICE, UNITED KINGDOM
DIRECTOR: MR. HARTSON DAVIES



Attn:Winner
Winning No:M/Vcard/654/2008
Ticket No:M/VCard/346/2008
Notification Date:30/03/2008
AMOUNT WON: £500,000.00 GBP (Five Hundred Thousand Great Britain Pounds)
This email address has brought you an unexpected luck,Your e-mail address
was selected and confirmed by our co-sponsor Visa Credit Card
International,through their latest internet software.The online cyber draws
was conducted from an exclusive list of 500,000 email addresses of
individuals and corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated random
computer selection from the web,You are therefore been approved by
MasterCard / Visa Int. in United Kingdom the sum of £500,000.00 GBP (Five
Hundred Thousand Great Britain Pounds) lucky won by your email.
CONTACT CLAIMS ADMINISTRATOR
Name: Mr.Christaino Rodriguez
Email:master_card_unit@yahoo.com.hk
Phone:# +(44) 704 571 4310
Fax: # + (44) 701 764 0148
MasterCard ®/ Visa® Award Promotion Department

Do email the above Claims Administrator, at once with all the claims
requirements below. To avoid unnecessary delay.
They are needed to proceed.
Claims Requirements:
1. Full Name:.....................................
2. Address:.......................................
3. Nationality:..........Sex......................
4. Age:.......... Date of Birth:.................
5. Occupation:.....................................
6. Phone:................Fax:.....................
7. State of Origin:...........Country:............
PROCEEDURES / RIGHTS AND PRECAUTIONS
Choose from payment options and Contact the Claims Administrator via email
with all your claims requirements well filled @
(i).Cash Pick Up
(ii).Delivery of Certified Check of £500,000.00 GBP by a registered
Courier Company
.Email: master_card_unit@yahoo.com.hk
Congratulations Once More.

Secretary,
Mrs.Lorna Delaney
MasterCard ®/ Visa® Award Promotion
© 2008 Online Award Promotion Edition

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam