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:
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million us 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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• 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.
  • britishtobaccoapproved147@gmail.com
  • britishtobacco_claimspromo366@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "BRITISH TOBACCO PROMOTIONS" <info@tobacco.org>
Reply-To: britishtobaccoapproved147@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 18:32:06 +0100
Subject: PERSONAL!!!

BRITISH TOBACCO MEGA JACKPOT PROMOTION UNITED KINGDOM
406 Bury New Rd., Whitefield,
Manchester M457SXU.K.
BATCH NUMBER:MFI/07/APA-43658
REFERENCE NUMBER: 2008234522
AWARD WINNING NO: 4



BRITISH TOBACCO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROMOTIONS

I am pleased to inform you that one of the best things that can happen to any
Internet user is to be rewarded for spending money and time on the Internet.

You may not have known that, over one hundred million people daily surf the
Internet on regular basis for one reason or the other. These Internet users
including yourself, pay access fees to various Internet Service Providers (ISP)
all over the word who in turn remit surplus funds to the numerous World Wide
Internet Technology Companies (WWITC) for the development and advancement of
Global Information Technology.

So much money is generated from people like you all over the World for using
the Information Superhighway (the Internet) without your being aware the
enormous sum that go to the stake holders (WWITC). Without your patronage, this
would not have been possible. World Wide Internet Technology Companies

(WWITC) in partnership with BRITISH TOBACCO PROMOTIONS UK, conducted a
research on the issue, and the report on the research concluded that Internet
users should be compensated by an e-based promotion. As a result, we embarked
on a worldwide compensation promotion with a sophisticated automated database
to randomly select E-mail accounts that frequently surf the Internet.
Consequent upon this, your E-mail address was picked for THE 50TH YEARS
ANIVERSARY CELEBRATION PROMOTION OF BRITISH TOBACCO PROMOTIONS uk.

After the automated computer ballot, your E-mail address along side Nine (9)
other email addresses emerged as a winner of the sum amount of FIVE MILLION US
DOLLARS (5,000,000.00

USD) in The 50TH Year Anniversary Celebration Of BRITISH TOBACCO PROMO In
partnership With World Wide Internet Technology Companies (WWITC) with the
following numbers attached CLEARANCE Number:BRITOBAC80 WWT 9414

Please contact the clearing house (through your claims agent
only) the body assigned with the verification of all emergent winner. Therefore
all protocols laid down by them must be followed to facilitate your claims;


CONTACT Details:

=========================================
Name: Mr.Harry Thomas

Email;britishtobaccoapproved147@gmail.com
britishtobacco_claimspromo366@yahoo.co.uk
TEL; +234-528-774-86
=========================================

20 Lausanne Road Nigeria,WEST AFRICA
You to provide the claim agent with the under listed information as soon as
possible:

===============================================
1. NAME IN FULL:...............................

2. ADDRESS:....................................

3. NATIONALITY:................................

4. AGE:........................................

5. OCCUPATION:.................................

6. PHONE/FAX:..................................

7. COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE........................
================================================

For processing and remittance of your prize money to a designated account of
your choice.Remember, all prize money must be claimed not later than the 8th
july,2009.All funds not claimed on or before the fixed date will bereturned as
unclaimed. NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications,please
remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in all correspondences with
this office.

Furthermore, should there be any change of your address, do inform us as soon
as possible Congratulations again from all our staffs and thank you for being
part of our Promotions program.


Sincerely,
KAREN PETERSON.
Co-coordinator.

NOTE:ALL RESPONSE SHOULD BE MAILED TO: britishtobaccoapproved147@gmail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam