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)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "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)
  • "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin 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.
  • contact_feng@sify.com

Fraud email example:

From: "fu feng" <contact.feng2@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2008 01:48:18 +0100
Subject: Business proposal from China.


From the desk of:
Mr Fu Feng,
Bank of china,
Shenzhen,
Peoples Republic Of China.
Respond to this email : contact_feng@sify.com

I am Mr Fu Feng,Bank Manager of Bank of China, Shenzhen Branch, China. I
have urgent and very confidential business proposition for you.I am making
this contact with you based on reliable information available to me courtesy
of business index and confirmed by our local chambers of commerce and
industry concerning your reputation.A British Oil consultant/contractor with
the Chinese Solid Minerals Corporation, Mr Raymond Beck made a numbered time
(Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at Thirty Million US
dollars in my branch. Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his
forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and
finally we discovered from his contract employers, the Chinese Solid
Minerals Corporation, that Mr. Raymond Beck died in a plane crash along with
his wife Mrs Doreen Beck in Egypt Air Flight 990, 1999 air crash (
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm).

Since we got this information about his death on further investigation, I
found out that he died without making a WILL and all attempts to trace his
next of kin was fruitless. I therefore made further investigations and
discovered that Mr. Raymond Beck did not declare any kin or relations in all
his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank.
This sum of Thirty Million dollars is still sitting in my Bank and the
interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each
year. No one will ever come forward to claim it. According to Laws of
Republic of China, at the expiration of 9 (Nine) years, the money will
revert to the ownership of the Chinese Government if nobody applies to claim
the fund.

Consequently, my proposal is for you as a foreigner, to stand in as the next
of kin to Mr. Raymond Beck so that the fruits of this old man's labor will
not get into the hands of some corrupt government officials. This is simple,
I will like you to provide immediately your full names and address so that
the attorney will prepare the necessary documents and affidavits that will
put you in place as the next of kin. We shall employ the services of an
attorney for drafting and notarization of the WILL and to obtain the
necessary documents and letter of probate/administration in your favor for
the transfer.

A bank account in any part of the world that you will provide will then
facilitate the transfer of this money to you as the beneficiary/next of kin.
The money will be paid into your account for us to share in the ratio of
eighty percent for me and twenty percent for you. There is no risk at all as
all the paperwork for this transaction will be done by the attorney and my
position as the Branch Manager guarantees the successful execution of this
transaction.

I am perfectly knowledgeable about this kind of transaction.I have witnessed
Long forgotten Funds running into millions of dollars been transfered to
other accounts on several occasions.Funds were transfered from my bank(BANK
OF CHINA) recently:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/02_05/b3768065.htm.See this as
an opportunity for us to lay claims to Mr Raymond Becks funds.

If you are Interested, please reply immediately via the private email
address above. Upon your response, I shall then provide you with more
details and relevant documents that will help you understand the
transaction. Please send me your confidential telephone and fax numbers for
easy communication.

Regards,
Mr Fu Feng.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam