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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" 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.
  • +22993437670 (Benin, probably a 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.
  • davidokoh@rocketmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "davidokoh1 Gazeta.pl" <davidokoh1@gazeta.pl>
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:10:59 +0100
Subject: My Dear friend,


My Dear friend,

I am happy to inform you about my success in getting the funds transferred
under the help of a new partner from paraguay.Presently i am in paraguay for
investment projects with my own share of the total sum. meanwhile,i didn't
forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me in transferring the funds
despite that it failed us some how.

Now contact my secretary in Benin Republic he name is Mr. David Okoh . and
do contact him on his:

Name:Mr.David Okoh.
Email-address: (davidokoh@rocketmail.com)
PHONE NUMBER +229-93437670


Ask him to send you the total cheque of ($300 000.00 )three hundred
thousand dollars) which i kept for your compensation for all the past
efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter, i would have send it in
cash as i promised you but the bank do not accept the transfer because of
law of money fraud.

I appreciated your efforts at that time very much. so feel free and get in
touched with my secretary Mr. David Okoh. and instruct him where to send the
cheque of ($300 000.00 ) mUSD to you. Please do let me know immediately you
receive it so that we can share the joy after all the sufferness at that
time. in the moment, I m very busy here because of the investment projects
which me and the new partner are having at hand.

Finally, remember that I had forwarded instruction to the secretary on your
behalf to receive that money,so feel free to get in touch with him,he will
help you in sending the cheque to your destination without any delay.

NOTE : BELOW HERE IS THE REQUIRED INFORMATIONS YOU WILL SEND TO MY
SECRETARY:

(1) YOUR FULL NAMES.....................................
(2) YOUR HOUSE ADDRESS.....................................
(3) YOUR DIRECT CELPHONE NUMBER..........................
(4) PAS-PORT OR DRIVING LINCES ..............................
(5) YOUR Age..................................................
(6) YOUR country.................................................


Yuor's faithfully
Mrs Rose Bangura.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam