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)
  • "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)
  • "my names are " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
• 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.
  • ritacline03@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "ritacline82 Gazeta.pl" <ritacline82@gazeta.pl>
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2008 05:26:26 +0100
Subject: Yours in Christ


Dear Friend,

I know this letter will definitely come as a
surprise to you but I hope as you read on, you will
come to understand I have decided- after about four
and a half month of thinking about the whole issue-
to seek your help in carrying out my last wishes. I
don?t really know you but I have prayed, thought
about it and moreover I have no choice now and for
another reason I prefer not to disclose. My names
are Mrs. Rita Cline.

I am 67 years old and I was born and brought up from
a motherless baby?s home the Netherlands. I was
married to my late husband for twenty years and had
two children but as God would have it. They died in
an auto accident six years ago.

Before this happened, my business and concern for
making money was all I lived for. I never really
cared about other values in life. But since the loss
of my family, I have found a new desire to assist
helpless families. I have been helping orphans in
orphanages/motherless baby?s homes, especially in
Africa. I have also donated some funds for
humanitarian aid and rehabilitation of prostitutes
in Rio de janiero, Brazil, when I was healthier. I
know by now you might be wondering why this entire
long story. I am a new Christian convert, suffering
from long time cancer of the breast, all indication
from my doctor that my conditions are really
deteriorating and it is quite obvious that i
wouldn?t live more than three months. According to
my doctors, and in all indication regards to medical
analysis, this is because the cancer disease has
gotten to a very bad stage that there is no hope for
me to be a living person again.

I have also lost my ability to talk, due to this my
poor health condition. Presently I been hospitalized and my only
means of communication at the moment is by my email
or sms message and I am here with my laptop.

I am not afraid of death any longer though. Like I
told you earlier, my husbands business and mine
really thrived when I was healthy and He been alive.
We really worked hard for the sake of our children.
As my health detracted, my extended family members
swooped down on everything my husband and I worked
hard to earn.

Seeing that there are no offspring(s) to inherit it
coupled with the fact that I am dying. They never
really liked me anyway but my husband stood by me
all those years. This is my plea; I made most of my
money through exporting vintage wines to African
countries like South Africa, Benin Republic and
Nigeria.

I had to sell all my inherited belongings and
deposited all the sum of $7.5Million dollars with a
security company. Presently, this money is still
kept with the security company and the managements
just wrote me to come forward to pick up my deposit,
that it has over stayed the period of time I entered
that I would come over to claim it back. Or issue a
letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on
my behalf since I cannot come over because my
illness or they get it confiscated.

It is my last wish to see that this money is
invested to any organization of your choice and
distributed each year among the charity
organization, the poor and the motherless baby?s
home where i come from. I want you as a God fearing
person, to also use this money to fund churches,
orphanages and widows; I took this decision, before
i rest in peace because my time will soon be up.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the
contact of the Security Company. I will also issue
you a letter of authority that will prove you as the
new beneficiary of my fund. Please assure me that
you will act accordingly as I stated herein.

pleas do write me on my email address: ritacline03@gmail.com

Waiting for your reply.
Yours in Christ,
Mrs. Rita Cline.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam