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:
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "certified bank draft" (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.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • d_markesq2010@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "myoffice2005 Gazeta.pl" <myoffice2005@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: farkarb200@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 09:46:28 +0100
Subject: Thank you for your efforts


Hello my good friend,

Good day to you.

It has been such a long time.How are you today and your family.I hope all is
well?

I'm happy to inform you about my success in getting the fund transfered with
the cooperation of a new partner from Bahrain. Presently I'm in
al-Manâmah,Bahrain for for my health treatment and investment projects with
my own share of the total sum.My health is no longer what it used to be
because of the stress in getting this funds moved successfully.

Meanwhile,I didn't forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me in
transferring those funds despite that it did not work out between us.

In view of this,You should contact my lawyer in London, his name is
Barrister David Mark and his email address is d_markesq2010@yahoo.co.uk ask
him to send you the certified bank draft I handed over to him for the sum of
$350.000.00.You should keep $300.000.00 for yourself that is your
compensation for all your previous efforts and attempts to assist me in this
matter and $50.000.00 should go to any orphanage and motherless babes homes
in your country.That is one promise I made to my God and I stand on that,
nothing will change that.

I appreciated your efforts at that time very much,so feel free and get in
touch with my Lawyer and instruct him where to send the draft to you. Please
do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share the joy after
all the sacrifice and sufferance at that time. At the moment, I am very busy
here because of my treatment and the investment projects with my new
partner.

Remember that I had forwarded instructions to the lawyer on your behalf to
receive that money, so feel free to get in to him and he will send the
amount to you without any delay.

Take care of yourself,

Your Friend.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam