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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "australian lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• 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.
  • +2348033630319 (Nigeria, 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.
  • markwilliams2007william@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: AUSTRALIANLOTTERY2008 <australianlotto2008@pravda.ru>
Reply-To: markwilliams2007william@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:12:34 +0100
Subject: DEAR LUCKY WINNER YOU HAVE WON LOTTERY


*AUSTRALIA LOTTO LOTTERY INC.*
*ELECTRONIC MAIL AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION*
*AWARD PRESENTATION CENTER:AUSTRALIA*

THE AUSTRALIAN LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL.
FROM: THE DESK OF THE MANAGEMENT
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRICE AWARD DEPARTMENT.
REF N : EGS/475061725
BATCH NO :7056490900/08

RE: AWARD NOTIFICATION/ FINAL NOTICE CONGRATULATIONS!
*The National Australian Lottery Incorporated wishes to inform you of the
results of the E-mail address ballot lottery international program by
Australia held on 1st march ,2008. Your email account have been picked as a
winner of {£350,000.00} THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND GREAT BRITISH
POUNDS STERLING ONLY.*
**
*This result is now released to you on 15th of July,2008. your email address
was attached in the B Category. All email addresses were selected through a
computer ballot system in which your email address was selected as one of
the lucky winners. Your lucky number is= Ball number (11)Ball number
(13)Ball number (26)Ball number(34)Ball number (44)Ball number (48)and Bonus
Ball number(02)*
**
*Be advised to keep your winning information confidential {VERY SECRET}until
your claims has been processed and your money remitted to you.This is part
of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of
this program by fraudulent and scammers. **All winning must be claimed not
later than 30 MARCH,2008. After this date all unclaimed funds will be
returned to Australia as unclaimed.*
** *
**Please note in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications please
remember to quote your reference number in all correspondence.**You are
therefore advised to contact your Claim Officer in our regional claims
center in Africa,Nigeria where your winning balloting numbers fall for
payment. *
*
AGENT NAME: DR MARK WILLIAMS.via **e-mail *
* EMAIL:markwilliams2007william@yahoo.com**
TEL +234-803-363-031-9*
***For the processing and remittance of your winning prize fund immediately.
Congratulations from the staff and thank you for being part of our email
account users programme.*
**
*Yours Sincerely,
Mrs Alice Henry
Executive(Australian Lottery Inc).
Executive Co-ordinator(Australian Lottery Inc)** *


* Past winners round the world with full of excitment
*
**
*sponsored by:*
*Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd,
Dr. P. Swier, Mr. Gerald Goodman (Manager Foreign Operations), Mr.Franklyn
Van Der Weijden (Manager Domestic Banking Operations), Dr. James Williams
(Director International Credit Department), Mrs. Sandra Murphy(Executive),
Mr. Michael Cole (Executive), Mr. Stephen Boer (Chairman).VICE PRESIDENT*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam