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"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
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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +27842131816 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • maselevusi@yahoo.com
  • maselevusi@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Vusi masele" <vusimasele@hotmail.co.uk>
Reply-To: maselevusi@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 14:25:37 +0100
Subject: MUTUAL BANK BUSINESS

MUTUAL BANK BUSINESS
FROM THE DESK OF MR. VUSI MASELE
TEL: +27-842-131-816
EMAIL: maselevusi@yahoo.com

GREETINGS!

THE NEED TO INVOLVE A REALIABLE AND HONEST PERSON TO TRANSFER OUT U.S.
$52,500,000.00 FROM MY EMPLOYERS (INVESTEC BANK SOUTH AFRICA) HAS MADE ME TO
SEEK YOUR ASSISTANT BELIEVING THAT YOU WILL NEVER LET ME DOWN EITHER NOW OR
IN THE FUTURE. I AM VUSI MASELE, A STAFF OF INVESTEC BANK, SOUTH AFRICA.

THERE IS AN ACCOUNT OPENED IN THIS BANK IN 1980 AND SINCE 1994 NOBODY HAS
OPERATED ON THIS ACCOUNT AGAIN. AFTER GOING THROUGH SOME OLD FILES IN THE
RECORDS I DISCOVERED THAT IF I DO NOT REMIT THIS MONEY OUT URGENTLY IT WILL
BE FORFEITED FOR NOTHING. THE OWNER OF THIS ACCOUNT WAS MR. DANIEL B. JONES
A FORIGNER AND THE MANAGER OF PRECIOUS STONES DRILLING SERVICES, A
GEOLOGICAL ENGINEER BY PROFFESSION AND HE DIED SINCE 1994. NO OTHER PERSON
KNOWS ABOUT THIS ACCOUNT OR ANYTHING CONCERNING IT, THE ACCOUNT HAS NO OTHER
BENEFICIARY AND MY INVESTIGATION PROVED TO ME AS WELL THAT HISCOMPANY DOES
NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ACCOUNT AND THE AMOUNT INVLOVED IS
(US$52,500,000.00). I WANT TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY INTO A SAFE FOREIGN
ACCOUNT ABROAD BUT I DON'T KNOW ANY FOREIGNER.

I AM ONLY CONTACTING YOU AS A FOREIGNER BECAUSE THIS MONEY CANNOT BE
APPROVED TO ANY LOCAL BANK HERE BUT CAN ONLY BE APPROVED FOR TRANSFER TO ANY
FOREIGN ACCOUNT BECAUSE THE MONEY IS IN U.S DOLLARS AND THE FORMER OWNER OF
THE ACCOUNT BEING MR. DANIEL B. JONES WAS A FOREIGNER TOO. I KNOW THAT THIS
MESSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE AS WE DON'T KNOW OURSELVES BEFORE,
BUT I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT IT IS REAL AND A GENUINE BUSINESS. I ONLY GOT
YOUR CONTACT FROM THE INTERNET INTERNATIONAL TRADE DIRECTORY WITH BELIEVE IN
GOD THAT YOU WILL NEVER LET ME DOWN IN THIS BUSINESS, YOU ARE THE ONLY
PERSON THAT I HAVE CONTACTED FOR THIS BUSINESS FOR NOW. SO PLEASE REPLY
URGENTLY. I WILL APPLY FOR MY RESIGNATION AFTER THE FUNDS HAS BEEN
TRANSFERED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AS THIS WILL ENABLE ME TO COME TO YOUR COUNTRY
AND COLLECT MY SHARE FROM YOU AND INVEST A GOOD PART OF IT IN YOUR COUNTRY
ON PROJECTS YOU WILL ADVISE ME AS LUCRATIVE IN YOUR COUNTRY.

I AM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO INVOLVE A FOREIGNER WITH A
FOREIGN ACCOUNT THAT WILL STAND-IN AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO MR. DANIEL B.
JONES. I NEED YOUR CO-OPERATION TO MAKE THIS WORK FINE, BECAUSE THE
MANAGEMENT OF THE BANK IS READY TO APPROVE THIS PAYMENT TO ANY FOREIGNER WHO
HAS THE CORRECT INFORMATION TO THIS ACCOUNT WHICH I WILL GIVE TO YOU WHEN
YOU ASSURE ME OF YOUR CAPABILITY TO HANDLE SUCH AMOUNT IN STRICT CONFIDENCE
AND TRUST, ACCORDING TO MY INSTRUCTIONS AND MY ADIVICE FOR OUR MUTUAL
BENEFIT, I NEED YOUR STRONG ASSURANCE AND TRUST. I SHALL DESTROY ALL
DOCUMENTS CONCERNING THIS TRANSACTION IMMEDIATELY WE RECEIVE THIS MONEY
LEAVING NO TRACE TO ANY PLACE. I WILL USE MY POSITION AND INFLUENCE ON OTHER
CO-STAFF TO EFFECT LEGAL APPROVALS AND ONWARD TRANSFER OF THIS MONEY TO YOUR
ACCOUNT WITH APPROPRIATE CLEARANCE FROM PROBATE REGISTRY & FOREIGN PAYMENT
DEPARTMENT. WITH ASSURANCE THAT THIS MONEY WILL BE INTACT PENDING MY
PHYSICAL ARRIVAL IN YOUR COUNTRY FOR THE SHARING AND OTHER INVESTMENT.

AT THE CONCLUSION OF THIS BUSINESS, I WILL GIVE YOU 30% OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT;
I SHALL TAKE 70% OF THIS MONEY. HOPING THAT THIS SHARING RATIO IS ACCEPTED
BY YOU, I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR EARLIEST RESPONSE.

PLEASE REPLY TO MY SECURE EMAIL [maselevusi@yahoo.com] OR CALL ME ON
[+27842131816] ABOVE FOR FURTHER DETAILS AND PROCEEDURE.
YOURS TRULY,

VUSI MASELE

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam