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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "hundred thousand united states 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)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• 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.
  • johnekoh@personal.ro (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: johnekoh@personal.ro
Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2006 20:53:01 +0200
Subject: URGENT

From: - Engr. John Ekoh

Email: - johnekoh@personal.ro


Dear Sir,

EXTREMELY URGENT

I am Engr. John Ekoh, a Native of Cape Town in South Africa and I am an Executive Project Manager with the South African Department of Mineral and
Energy Resources. First and foremost, I apologized using this medium to reach you for a transaction/business of this magnitude, but this is due to
confidentiality and prompt access reposed on this medium.

Be informed that a member of the South Africa Export Promotion Council (SAEPC) who was at the Government delegation to your country during a trade
exhibition gave your enviable credentials/particulars to me. I have decided to seek a confidential co-operation with you in the execution of the deal
described hereunder for the benefit of all parties and hope you will keep it as a top secret because of the nature of this transaction.

Within the Department of Mineral and Energy Resources where I work as a Project Manager and with the cooperation of three other top officials, we have
in our possession as overdue payment bills totaling Twenty-One Million, One Hundred Thousand united states dollars (US$21,100,000.00) which we want to
transfer abroad with the assistance and co-operation of a foreign company/individual to receive the said fund on our behalf into a reliable
company/individual account depending on your convenience.

More so, we are handicapped in the circumstances, as the South Africa Civil Service Code of Conduct does not allow us to operate offshore account hence
your importance the whole transaction. This amount (US$21.1m) represents the balance of the total contract value executed on behalf of my Department by a
foreign contracting firm, which we the officials over-invoiced deliberately. Though the actual contract cost have been paid to the original contractor,
leaving the balance in the tune of the said amount which we have in principles gotten approval to remit by Key Tested Telegraphic Transfer (K.T.T) to any
foreign bank account you will provide by filing in an application through the Justice Ministry here in South Africa for the transfer of rights and
privileges of the former contractor to you.

I have the authority of my partners involved to propose that should you be willing to assist us in the transaction, your share of the sum will be 20% of t
he US$21.1 million, 60% for us and 20% for taxation and miscellaneous expenses. The business itself is 100% safe, on your part provided you treat it with
utmost secrecy and confidentiality. Also your area of specialization is not a hindrance to the successful execution of this transaction.

I have reposed my confidence in you and hope that you will not disappoint me. Endeavor to contact me immediately through my secured telephone / fax number
whether or not you are interested in this deal. If you are not, it will enable me contact other foreign partner with recommendation to carry out this deal.
I want to assure you that myself and my partners are in a position to make the payment of this claim possible provided you can give us a very strong
assurance and guarantee that our share will be secured and Please remember to treat this matter as very confidential matter because we will not comprehend
with any form of exposure as we are still in active Government Service and remember once again that time is of the essence in this business.

Kindly establish your response directly by telephone/fax or my email- johnekoh@personal.ro to the committee's representative whose name appears
below. We wait in anticipation of your fullest co-operation.

Yours faithfully,

John Ekoh. (Engr.)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam