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:

• This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "western union" (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 send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
  • ",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)
• 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.

Fraud email example:

From: "WESTERN UNION." (may be fake) Reply-To: <francwings@yahoo.de> Date: Thu, 21 May 2015 13:50:20 -0700 Subject: YOUR PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE READY FOR PICK NOW.

This is a service email from Western Union.

Western Union Money Transfer. Dear Customer, The Western Union Money Transfer this morning has been instructed to Transfer a total sum of $6,500,000 USD (Six million,five hundred thousand dollars only) directed in cash credited to our account ending in: WUMTxxxxxx5467 by the Federal Reserve Bank New York and the International Monetary Fund in conjuction with the United Nations and UNICEF for us to screen and make a final payment to you the owner of this account which have been authorized and can only be paid through Western Union corporate headquarters here in the United States to your very location . They contacted us regarding your witheld compensation fund a couple of hours ago.Be informed that all matters relating to your funds transfer has been fully regularized as a final approval has been issued out in your favour and we therefore commence your transfer process of your fund which have been authenticated few minutes ago. Click on the green icon to verify your email address Once valid information is received, please allow up to five working days for us to contact you for your transfer method/information.Also note that we do not ask for any fee whatsoever.Please report immediately if any of our staffs demand for any fee. NOTE: we cannot respond to any wrong information received in our database because,we will verify your account with your account provider to make sure you are the rightful account owner before we make any authorized and legal transfer of fund s to you. RESPONSE SHOULD Western Union Team   Please read the Western Union Privacy Policy to learn more about our privacy practices. You will always have the ability to opt-out at any time in the future. Note: Your personal information provided for the services requested are not subject to your choice and may be shared to fulfill our service obligations or as required or permitted by law. Western Union Financial Service, Inc. PO Box 4430 Bridgeton, MO 63044 ©2014 Western Union Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Anti-fraud resources: What can you do when you receive 419 spam