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)
  • ",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)
  • "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "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)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "observe 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)
• 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.
  • mrjonathan.morgan@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:58:39 +0200
Subject: The results of your email commands


The results of your email command are provided below. Attached is your
original message.


- Unprocessed:
ABSA BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA PLC
AUDIT DEPARTMENT
JOHANNESBURG,
SOUTH AFRICA
TEL: 27-787919754
mrjonathan.morgan@gmail.com
Attention:
I am Mr. Jonathan Morgan a staff of Absa Bank of South Africa Plc, I have urgent and very confidential business proposal for you. A Japanese Gold consultant/contractor with the South African Solid Gold Corporation, Mr. Lou Kawasaki made a numbered time Deposit for twenty calendar months, valued at $14,500,000,00 (Fourteen Million Five Hundred Thousand U.S. dollars) in my branch. Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered that Mr. Lou Kawasaki died in automobile accident in Johannesburg on 21 of May 2002, on further investigation, I found out that he died without making a WILL and all attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless.
I therefore made further investigation and discovered that Mr. Lou Kawasaki did not declare any kin or relations in all his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank. This sum of US$14,500,000.00 is still sitting in our Bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one will ever come forward to claim it. According to Laws of Republic of South Africa at the expiration of 7(Seven) years, the money will revert to the ownership of the
South African Government if nobody applies to claim the fund. Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand in as the next of kin to Mr. Lou Kawasaki so that the fruits of this old man's labor will not get into the hands of some corrupt government officials. This is simple, I will like you to provide immediately your full names and address so that the attorney will prepare the necessary documents and affidavits that will put you in place as the next of kin.
A bank account in any part of the world that you will provide will then facilitate the transfer of this money to you as the beneficiary/next of kin. The money will be paid into your account for us to share in the ratio of 70% for me and 30% for you. There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for this transaction will be done by the attorney and my position as a prominent official of Absa Bank guarantees the successful execution of this transaction. If you are interested, please reply immediately.
Upon your response, I shall then provide you with more details and relevant documents that will help you understand the transaction. Please send me your confidential telephone, fax numbers for easy communication. Please observe utmost confidentiality, and rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall require your assistance to invest my share in your country.
I await your urgent reply.
Best Regards
Mr. Jonathan Morgan
mrjonathan.morgan@gmail.com

- Done.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam