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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:

• 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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "to your nominated bank account" (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.
  
• 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.
  • +27728109889 (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.
  • mrjvukubi@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: jvukubi@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 08 Apr 2004 01:19:07 +0200
Subject: Confidential

FROM: MR JAMES VUKUBI
Email:mrjvukubi@yahoo.com
PHONE:+ 27 72 810 9889


Dear Sir/Madam
Good Day!
I am a staff of a reputable bank here in South Africa.I will give you the name of the bank and other important information if I receive a positive reply
from you. For security reasons I cannot disclose my full identity to you for now until I am sure of your cooperation. I work in the operations dept where I serve as account officer to numerous customers. One of the customers whom I worked as his account officer was a wealthy diamond merchant from the Republic of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. He lost his family in
the war.
He was lucky to escape alive and came to this country with his wealth. Unfortunately he died few years back. Because this man was good to me when he was alive, I took it upon myself to travel to his country last
month, to see if I could locate any of his close relations. On reaching there I discovered that his only surviving uncle died a few months back. I sponsored this trip on my own and nobody in the bank knew I was undertaking the journey so I did not present any official report of my findings in South
Africa.
Now there are two things I could do with respect to the dead man's money. First, as his accounts officer, I could formally notify the bank authorities that the man is dead and has no next of kin. In this case the money would be forfeited to the government after some time. 0n the other hand, I can arrange for someone, a foreigner, to act as the next of kin of the late man
so that he/she can claim the money. This is the option l have decidedd to take to help myself and whoever that God brings my way. I took this option after my findings that this fund actually was a public fund looted by highly place government officials under the brutal military government. I want you to be my partner. All you would have to do is act as the next of kin of the dead man and the whole money in the account will be transferred to your nominated bank account. As the account/s officer to the late man, I have all the necessary documents that you require to claim the money in the account.
The total money in the account is USD$17 million. I hope to resign my job as a banker to join you in a viable business partnership at the eventual transfer
of this fund. Kindly Reach me immediately using the above contact information. Also provide me with your direct telephone and fax numbers for easy communication.
Yours Truly,
MR JAMES VUKUBI

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam