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:
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "fudiciary" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
  • "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. )
  • "certified bank draft" (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 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 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.
  • desmond.uchenna@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Desmond Uchenna <desmond.uchenna@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: jamemark.2007@live.com
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2008 05:51:41 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!!


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: desmond.uchenna@yahoo.com



- CONGRATULATIONS!!! Due to your effort, sincerity, courage and trust worthiness you showed at thecourse of the Uk Online Lotto Winning cheque shipment to your location, I wantto compensate you and show my gratitude to you with the sum of E 850,000poundsI have authorized the finance house where I deposited the money to issue youinternational certified bank draft cashable at your bank. My dear winner,I will like you to contact the CEO in charge of the financehouse for the collection of this international certified bank draft. The nameof the Person with your Cheque is Kevin Pelphrey, Ph.D COMPENSATION AND FINANCEHOUSE HEAD OFFICE CONTACT AGENT : Kevin Pelphrey, Ph.D Email:JAMEMARK.2007@LIVE.COMFinance and Security HouseaUnited Kingdom Deposit FirmFSH TowersChelsea T45H U.K. At the moment, I am very busy at Sydney,Australia because of the investmentprojects which myself and my new partner Mr Peter Hills of CTL Company arehaving at hand. Finally, remember that I have forwarded !
instruction to the Kevin Pelphrey, Ph.Dat the finance house on your behalf to send the bank draft to you as soon asyoucontact him without delay. Please I will like you to accept this token withgood faith as this is from the bottom of my heart. Thanks and God bless you andyour family. My sincere advice to you as a christian is that you should endeavour to payyour tithe to a bible believing church when you get the money becausei noticed it as a fudiciary agent that you were skeptical about your winnings when youwere been ask by the Uk lotto Agency Inc to file out a claim for your prize.And now the current policy of the Lotto organiser is that if an emerged winnerfails to claim up his/her winning cheque of E800,000pounds, it's nowmandatory that this fund can be remitted or forfeited to the fudiciary agentin charge of this winners file.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam