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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "express courier delivery" (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. )
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "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)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • +22993189407 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "PETER KING" <p_king5@ig.com.br>
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 02:31:16 +0200
Subject: THIS THIS YOUR IDENTIFICATION..............CPEL/OWN /9877?


(JOHN& COUNSELORS AT LAW)
25A HIGH LEVEL AVENUE KEREKOU
COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN.

My dear Friend,

How are you doing ? I have been waiting for you since to come down here
andpick up your (US$1,500,000.00) one million five hundred thousand United
Sates Dollars Bank Draft but I did not heard from you since that time. Then
I went
and deposited the Draft with Courier Security Company here in Benin
Republic,because I travelled to Japan to see my boss and will not come back
till next month end. I want You to contact the Courier Company to know when
they will
deliver your package bank draft to you.I have paid for the delivering
chargesand insurance fee. The only money you have to send to them is their
security keeping fee which is $200.00 Us Dollars ONLY to received your
package don't be deceived by any body.

This is their Contact Address
Hon.Adams Odiriga.
Director of the Royal Express
courier delivery company
Benin Republic.
Phone number +229-93189407
E-mail-(royalexpresscourerservice@live.fr)

Also this is the registraion number which I used to register your check bank
draft with the royal courier delivery company.

Your Full Name-----------------------
Your Address---------------------------
Home telephone---------------------
Office telephone---------------------
Your pic----------------------------------
Registraion number................RCDC45012 EM
Identification number..............CPEL/OWN /9877

This is for easy identification of your package bank draft.Try to contact
them as soon as possible to avoid increasing the security keeping fee and
also give them your contact delivering address to avoid any mistake on the
delivering. Let me know immediately you receive your Draft.

Thanks.
Barr.John P.King

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam