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. )
  • "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)
• 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.
  • alfredabu02@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:35:22 +0200
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?CONGRATULATION'S!!!!?=


ATTENTION:

CONGRATULATION'S!!!!

WE JUST SENT YOU $10,000.00 DOLLARS THIS MORNING AS YOUR FIRST PAYMENT, AND YOU WILL BE RECEIVING $10,000.00 DOLLARS PER DAY UNTILL YOU RECEIVE ALL YOUR APPROVED $500.000.00 DOLLARS THROUGH OUR WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER SYSTEM.

YOU CAN TRACK THIS $10,000.00 DOLLARS WE JUST SENT ON OUR WESTERN UNION WEBSITE LISTED BELOW.

www.westernunion.com

ONCE THE PAGE OPENS,YOU WILL CLICK ON TRACKING AND ENTER YOUR MONEY TRANSFER CONTROL NUMBERS AND OUR SENDER'S FIRST NAME AND LAST NAME, THEN CLICK ON CHECK STATUS TO TRACK YOUR $10,000.00 DOLLARS ONLINE.

OUR SENDER'S NAME: ---------------------
YOUR RECEIVER'S NAME: ------------------
YOUR MTCN: ------------------
TEXT QUESTION: 1+1
TEXT ANSWER: 2
COUNTRY: USA

NOTE THAT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS PLACED THE $10,000.00 DOLLARS ON HOLD UNTILL YOU COMPLY WITH OUR TRANSFER CHARGES OF US$464.37 ONLY.

THE REASON WHY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS NEED YOU TO PAY THE TRANSFER CHARGES IS BECAUSE WE HAVE TRIED TO DEDUCT OUR TRANSFER CHARGES FROM YOUR FUNDS AS THE FUNDS WAS APPROVED IN YOUR FAVOUR ONLY.

NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT OR AUTHORITY TO TOUCH OR DEDUCT ANY AMOUNT FROM YOUR APPROVED US$500,000.00 DOLLARS UNTIL IT GETS TO YOU THE BENEFICIARY.

THE $10,000 DOLLARS WE TRANSFERED THIS MORNING IS AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP BY THE RECEIVER. BUT IF YOU GO TO THE WESTERN UNION TO PICK UP THE MONEY,THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THE MONEY IS ON HOLD,DUE TO THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE NOT CLEARED OUR TRANSFER CHARGES.

ONCE WE CONFIRM OUR TRANSFER CHARGES OF US$464.37 FROM YOU TODAY, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL NOW INSTRUCT ME TO RELEASE YOUR FUNDS ON OUR SYSTEM HERE FOR YOU TO PICK UP YOUR MONEY IN YOUR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE.

PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF THIS MESSAGE AND GET BACK TO ME ASAP.

REGARDS,

Please Contact me here :(alfredabu02@yahoo.com)

MR. Alfred Abu

PAYING AGENT DIRECTOR


---------------------- ALICE N°1 de la RELATION CLIENT 2008*--------------------
Découvrez vite l'offre exclusive ALICE BOX! En cliquant ici http://abonnement.aliceadsl.fr Offre soumise à conditions.*Source : TNS SOFRES / BEARING POINT. Secteur Fournisseur d.Accès Internet

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam