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:
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "can i completely trust you?" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "your humble assistance" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • moussa88balikisu@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: Balikisu Moussa <balikisu.moussa@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:37:30 -0800 (PST)
Subject: How are you today?



Dearest=A0one,=20
=A0
How are you today?=20

I know that my mail will come to you as a surprise as we have not met befor=
e but let me use this opportunity=A0to introduce my self more to you and th=
e reason why i contacted you. promise me you will not let me down and also =
to trust you.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=20
My name is=A0Balikisu Moussa, I am=A023 years of age, the only daughter of =
late Mr=A0Moussa, from Sierra Leone .
My father before his death was a prosperous Cocoa and Gold merchant in my c=
ountry before his untimely death, after his business trip to Abidjan-Cote d=
'Ivoire, to negotiate on a Cocoa and Gold business he wanted to invest in A=
bidjan Cote d'Ivoire.=20
=A0
My mother died when I was little, and since then my father took me so speci=
al. Before his death on 13th April 2003 he told me that he has the sum of=
=A0 twelve million, seven hundred thousand United State Dollars.(USD$12.700=
..000) deposited in a=A0bank=A0in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire, that he wanted to u=
se this fund to invest his cocoa business in Ivory Coast.

Before the death of my father he instructed me that i should look for a for=
eign partner of my choice whom i could trust for security reason. And i hav=
e chosen you and also i pray that God should guild us through this transact=
ion.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=20
I am just 23 years old and a university undergraduate and really don't know=
what to do. Now I want you to help me=A0claim this money as my late father=
s=A0foreign partner=A0in overseas for an investment in your country because=
I have suffered a lot of set backs as a result of=A0 political crisis here=
in Ivory coast. The death of my father actually brought sorrow to my life.
I am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance=A0this regards. Your sug=
gestions and ideas will be highly regarded.
=A0
Now permit me to ask these few questions:
1. Can you honestly help me.
2. Can I completely trust you?=20
3. I have already mapped out 15% for you and 5% for any espouses that acqui=
red in this transaction.=20
Please, Consider this and get back to me as soon as possible
moussa88balikisu@yahoo.com=A0

Thank you so much and God bless you.
My sincere regards,
=A0
Miss Balikisu Moussa.=0A=0A=0A

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam