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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge deposit" (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 us 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)
  • "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Bailly Spinto" <baillyci2@gala.net>
Reply-To: baillyspinto@bigstring.com
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:30:52 +0000
Subject: Goodday My Dear Friend


Goodday My Dear Friend

My Name is Bailly Spinto a Banker and accountant with Bank Atlantique Cote
Ivoire. I am contacting you in regards to a business transfer of a large sum
of money from a dormant 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.

I am the personal accounts manager to Engr Lake Garcia,who used to work with
an oil servicing company here in Cote D'Ivoire.My client, his wife, and
their three children were involved in the ill fated Kenya Airways crash in
the coasts of Abidjan in January 2000 in which all passengers on board died.
Since then I have made several inquiries to locate any of my clients
extended relatives but has been unsuccessful.After several unsuccessful
attempts, I decided to trace over the internet,to see if I could locate any
member of his family hence I contacted you Of particular interest is this
huge deposit with our bank here in our country Cote Diviore,where the
deceased has an account valued at about ($16 million US dollars).They have
issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or our bank will declare the
account unservisable and thereby send the funds to the bank treasury.Since I
have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over last 6 years now,
I will seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased
so that the proceeds of this account valued at ($16million US dollars) can
be paid to you and then you and I can share the money.

All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal
through.I guarantee that this will be executed under all legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

In your reply mail,I want you to give me your full names, address, date of
birth, telephone and fax numbers.If you can handle this with me, reach me
now for more details.i can be reach by this private email address
baillyspinto@bigstring.com<http://us.mc591.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?toºillyspinto@bigstring.com>

Thanking you for your anticipated cooperation.

Sincerely,
Bailly Spinto

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam