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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • bernardgourlaouen1@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: <bernardgourlaouen@myguide.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:22:12 -0700
Subject: Trust/Confidential proposal ! !


Mr. Bernard GOURLAOUEN
General Manager,
Societe General Bank
Clozel, Cotonou
Benin Republic.
Dear friend,
I am Mr. Bernard GOURLAOUEN the General Manager, Societe General
Bank,and also a special account officer to a foriegn customer with the
bank. He was a Seasoned Contractor with Benin Cement Company in Benin
Republic; who unfortunately died in the plane crash of Union Transport
Africains Flight Boeing 727 in Cotonou, Benin republic on the december
25,2003.
You will read more stories about the crash on visiting this website
www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/ [1]
Before his death, he has a fixed deposit account with my bank and no
other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it.
My investigation and a review of the account opening file proved
that his supposed next of kin died along with him in the crash.
Since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of his
extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful.
I decided to
contact you so that I can use my official capacity to
attest that you are the bona-fide next of kin so that approval will be
given for the release and transfer of the money to an account you will
norminate before the fund will be confiscated or declared
unserviceable by the bank.
The account balance is at US$65 million. Upon transfer to your
account, I have the plan to resign my appointment with the bank so
that I can come over to your country for the shearing of the fund with
you in the percentage we will agree on.
I have the official capacity to perfect the logistics required to
ensure a swift approval and hitch free transfer under a well arranged
risk free framework.All I require is your honest co-operation to
enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be
executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any
breach of the law.
All documents of transaction will be destroyed immedia tely we
receive this money leaving no trace to any place.

Please reply back to my private email address
(bernardgourlaouen1@gmail.com [2])
Best regards,
Mr. Bernard GOURLAOUEN

Links:
------
[1] http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/
[2] mailto:bernardgourlaouen1@gmail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam