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:
  • "million united states 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)
  • "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• 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.
  • +22993567095 (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.
  • fedex_courierc_ompany152@hotmail.fr

Fraud email example:

From: "frank john" <frankjohn79@legwork.com.ng>
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:20:03 +0100
Subject: Goodday,


*Goodday,
I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank
Draft of $1 Million United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since
for a couple of weeks now. Then I went to the bank to confirm if the draft
has expired or getting near to expire and Dr.Wilson the Director Bank of
Africa told me that before the draft will get to your hand that it will
expire. So I told him to cash the $1 Million USD UNITED STATES DOLLARS to
cash payment to avoid losing this funds under expiration as I will be out
out of the country for a 3 Months Course and I will not come back till
ending of Mach 2008.

What you have to do now is to contact FEDEX EXPRESS COMPANY as soon as
possible to know when they will deliver your Consignment to you because of
the expiring date. For your information, I have paid for the delivering
Charge, Insurance premium.The only money you will send to the FEDEX EXPRESS
COMPANY to deliver your Consignment direct to your postal Address in your
country is ($130.00 US) One Hundred & Thirty United States Dollars only
being Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far.Again, don't be
deceived by anybody to pay any other money except $130.00 US Dollars. I
would have paid that but they said no because they don't know when you will
contact them and in case of demurrage.

You have to contact FEDEX EXPRESS COMPANY now for the delivery of your
Draft with
this information bellow;
Directors Name:Rev.Dr.Ugo Marcel
Companys Name: FEDEX EXPRESS COMPANY
Email Address: (**fedex_courierc_ompany152@hotmail.fr*<fedex_courierc_ompany152@hotmail.fr>
*)
Tel/FAX: +22993567095

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address and Direct
telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and ask
them to give you the tracking number to enable you track your package over
there and know when it will get to your address. Let me repeat again, try to
contact them as soon as you receive this mail to avoid any further delay and
remember to pay them their Security Keeping fee of $130.00 US Dollars for
their immediate action.

Note this. The FEDEX EXPRESS COMPANY don't know the contents of the Box. I
registered it as a BOX of Africa cloths. They did not know the contents was
money. this is to avoid them delaying with the BOX. Don't let them know that
box contents money ok.
I am waiting for your urgent response.
Yours Faithfully,
Thanks and Remain Blessed.
SECRETARY FRANK JOHN*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam