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:
  • "good day friend" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: =?utf-8?q?Smith=20Paul?= <smithplw@yahoo.com.co>
Reply-To: smithpaulq_2010@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2009 08:06:50 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Good day dear friend


¡Tengo nueva dirección de correo!Ahora puedes escribirme a:smithplw@yahoo.com.co



- From The Desk of, Barrister Smith Paul Chambers, Solicitors, Advocates, Notary Public & Legal Adviser Maka Plaza, plot 106 Victoria Island Lagos. Good Day Friend, I AM , A LEGAL ADVISER TO THE LATE ENGINEER MR. LOUIS KABIR, WHO DIED IN AUTO CRASH IN THE YEAR 2005, I CONTACTED YOU FOR THIS FUND LEFT BEHIND WORTH OF US$14.5MILLION. This is an abandoned fund that belongs to my client who died along with his entire family in auto crash few years ago. Meanwhile I was very fortune to come across the deceased file when i was arranging the old and abandoned customer’s files in other to sign and submit for an official re-documentation and audit of the year against 2008. as Bank where my late client deposited this huge amount (U.B.A BANK), and now the bank have informed me to Present the next of kin, for claim as it is lawfully if such fund remains unclaimed till the period of (5) years started from the date when the beneficiary died, the fund will be transferred into Federal Government treasury account as an unclaimed fund. It is not authorized by the rules guiding our Country for a citizen of Nigeria to make the claim of the fund unless you are a foreigner no matter the country you from you are qualify to be the next of kin. So I request of you as a foreigner to apply for the claim, and the transfer of the fund can take place smoothly into your reliable bank account as the next of kin to the deceased. PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATIONS:- NAME: __________SURNAME:__________________ SEX: _____ AGE: ______MARITAL: _______________ COUNTRY: _______CITY: _________ STATE _______ZIP CODE: _______ CONTACT ADDRESS: ________________________ PHONE NO#___________FAX NO#_________________ OCCUPATION: ______________POSITION: _____________ With these information’s from you, I will proceed with this transaction as the and present you to the bank as the next of kin to my late ENGINEER MR. LOUIS KABIR Immediately. I also believe that it is (GOD) who join us together for this transaction, and I also pray for (GOD) to give us the spirit of been honest to ourselves till the successful end of this transaction. I wait for your urgent response. Sincerely yours, Barrister Smith Paul.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam