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)
  • "trunk box" (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)
  • "hundred thousand united state dollars" (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)
  • ",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)
  • "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a orphan scam.

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: walkertom350@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:16:05 -0400
Subject: Pls Read And Get Back To Me.


Dear Friend,

Please,permit me to use this great opportunity to introduce myself to you and revile to you why i contacted you, which i know you will find it very interesting to co-operate with me.

I am Tom Walker from United Kingdom, The only son of late Mr.and Mrs. Richard Walker. My father was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Abbott Enterprise in United Kingdom. My mother died when I was a baby and since then my father took me so special.

My Father died poisoned by his business associate on one of their outing on a business trip and before is death, I inherited a total sum of One Million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars. ($1,500,000) .

This money which is concealed in a Metallic Trunk Box deposited with a Security and Finance Company under a secret arrangement as family valuables.

This means that, the Security Diplomatic Company does not know the content of this Metallic Trunk Box.

Please,my main purpose of sending you this mail is because of the way I found you and perhaps very trustworthy to give you this priority of shipping the box of money to any address that you think is very secure and save in your country for onwardment into your account for the purpose of future investment with your percentage of which we shall discuss on soon.

Dear,as soon as you notify me of your sincere and God fearing willingness to assist me,in my next mail I shall give you the contact of the security company and the deposit certificate of deposit that they gave me on the very day when the box of money was deposited with a secret code for safety in their custody.

Please,i want you to handle this transaction with utmost confidentiality.Dear,I give thanks immensely for your sincere co-operation as I look forward to hear from you soon.

I await your urgent response in this regard.
Mr.Tom Walker

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam