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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge sum of money" (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)
  • "million 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)
  • ",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)
  • "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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • daviesm005@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "box office" <office.box@mailbox.hu>
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 08:52:04 -0700
Subject: PRIVATE AND URGENT.


>From The Desk of the Vice President
Custody and Clearing Dept
HSBC Bank Plc 24th Floor
8 Canada Square, London E14 5hq
www.hsbc.co.uk
Email: daviesm005@yahoo.com

PRIVATE AND URGENT

I am contacting you in regards to a business transfer of a huge sum of money
from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude
will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all
will be well at the end of the day. We decided to contact you due to the
urgency of this transaction.

PROPOSITION:

I discovered an abandoned sum of US$20,000,000.00 (Twenty Million Dollars)
in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer, who died along
with his entire family. Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or
relations has come forward to lay claims to this money as the heir. We
cannot release the fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as
the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.

Upon this discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as a next
of kin to the deceased as all documentations will be carefully worked out
for the funds (US$20,000,000.00) to be released in your favor as the
beneficiary's next of kin. It may interest you to note that we have secured
from the probate an order of mandamus to locate any of deceased
beneficiaries.

If you find yourself able to work with me, endeavor by furnishing me with
the following;

1. Your full name and address.
2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers
3. Occupation.

These requirements will enable me file a letter of claim to the appropriate
departments for necessary approvals in your favor before the transfer can be
made. I shall be compensating you with 40% of the total fund on final
conclusion of this project; your share stays with you while the rest shall
be for me for investment purposes in your country.

My private phone number I shall provide in recipient of your response to my
proposal,because my official lines are not totally secure lines as they are
periodically monitored to assess our level of customer care in line with our
Total Quality Management Policy.


Thank you,

Yours faithfully

Davies Mark.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam