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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)
  • "million 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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a orphan scam.
• 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.
  • thembafamily@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "edward themba" <themba_ed23@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: thembafamilys@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 06:42:37 +0000
Subject: FROM MR. EDWARD THEMBA,

FROM MR. EDWARD THEMBA,
JOHANNESBURG SOUTH AFRICA,
TEL: 00-27-73-236-7013
E-mail:thembafamily@yahoo.com


Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is EDWARD THEMBA, the elder son of Mr.CHRIS THEMBA, of Zimbabwe.
This might be a surprise to you about where I got your contact address. Due
to my careful search for a honest, reliable and sincere business partner, I
got your contact from internet and I ask if you can be trusted not to break
an agreement? Still, it took me time to make up my mind to contact you and
to offer you this proposal of mine of which my whole life depends on.


During the current war against the farmers in Zimbabwe from the supports of
our President Robert Mugabe to claim all the white-owned farms to his party
members and his followers, he ordered all white farmers to surrender all
their farms to his party members and his followers.

My father is one of the best farmers in our country and because he did not
support Mugabe's ideas, Mugabe's supporters invaded my father's farm and
burnt everything in the farm, killing my father and made away with a lot of
items in my father's farm.

Before his death, my father deposited money with one of the Security Company
in Johannesburg, South Africa the sum of US$8 Million (Eight Million United
States Dollars). With my name, and made every documents with my name both
the certificate of depository.

Then after the death of my father, we decided to move to the Republic of
South Africa where he deposited the money in the Security Company as family
valuables.

So, I decided to contact you to assist me to transfer this money out of
South Africa because as asylum seekers we are not allowed to operate any
bank account within South Africa. We have agreed to offer you 20% of the
total sum for your assistance, 5% will be mapped out for any expenses that
may be incurred in the course of this transaction and 75% will be for me and
my family to invest in your country.

All I want you to do is to furnish me with your full personal phone and fax
numbers for easy communication. You can contact me on the above Telephone
number. Note that this transaction is 100% risk free and absolutely
confidential.

Thanks and God bless.

Best Regards.
Mr. Edward Themba,
(FOR THE FAMILY)

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam