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:
  • "money transfer control number" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "cheque " (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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• 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.
  • impexcourierservice1@gmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "raymond adimo" <raymondadimo25@ig.com.br>
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:26:07 +0100
Subject: YOUR BANK DRAFT WITH COURIER


Hello,

I wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year. I have been waiting for you to
contact me for your Confirm able Bank Draft of $18,000,000.00 United States
Dollars, But I haven't heard from you since that time. Then, I went and
deposited the Draft with IMPEX COURIER SERVICE COMPANY,WEST AFRICA.

I will be traveling out of the country for a 3 Month Course and I will not
come back till end of November 2008. What you have to do now is to contact
the IMPEX COURIER SERVICE COMPANY as soon as possible to know when they will
deliver your package to you because of the expiring date.. For your
information, I have paid for the delivery Charge,Insurance premium and
Clearance Certificate Fee of the Cheque showing that it is not a Drug Money.

The only money you will send to the IMPEX COURIER SERVICE COMPANY to deliver
your Draft direct to your Postal Address in your country is ($68.00USD)
Dollars only being Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far.

I would have paid for that too but they said "NO" because they don't know
when you will contact them and in case of demurrage.You have to contact the
IMPEX COURIER SERVICE COMPANY now and Reconfirm.

This details below.

Full Names............................
Delivery Address ...................
Contact number....................
Nearest Airport..............
Occupation.............
Age.......................

Contact Person: Mr. Mike James
Email Address: impexcourierservice1@gmail.com

If you are clarified you can also send the payment now to this informations
below via Western Union Money Transfer.

Receiver Name: Mr. Hodonou Rodrigue.
Receiver Address: #10 Cameroun Road, Cotonou,Benin Republic.
Sender's Name:...............................................
Sender's Address:............................................
Amount To be Sent: $68
Text Question: Pet Name?
Answer Dizzy.
Money Transfer Control Number(M.T.C.N).

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 Delivery Details to enable you to be a certain your
package over there and know when it will get toy our address. Let me
repeat again, try to contact them as soon as you receive this email to avoid
any further delay and remember to pay them their Security Keeping Fee
of$68.00 US Dollars for their immediate action.

Report any other email similar to this to us so that necessary action and
measures can be taken. And after you have made the payment you have to send
the payment informations to the IMPEX COURIER SERVICE COMPANY immediately so
that delivery can take place immediately. Once again season greetings to
you.

My Best Regards,
Engr. Raymond Adimo.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam