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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:
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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)
  • "may come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "million 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)
  • ",000,000" (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)
  • "contract award committee" (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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.
  • +27782919451 (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.
  • nelsonsmith2000@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: nelsonsmith2000@terra.es
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 05:26:57 +0200
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL


From office of the Director,
Project Implementation Unit
Eskom,Republic of South Africa
Direct-tel-line+27 78-291-9451

DEAR SIR/MADAM,

I KNOW THAT THIS PROPOSAL MAY COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE, ESPECIALY HAVING TO
COME FROM SOMEONE YOU HAVE NOT MET BEFORE, BUT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO CO-OPERATE
WITH ME SO THAT THIS US$35M USD WILL BE RELEASED AND TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR
ACCOUNT.

MY NAME IS MR NELSON SMITH, THE CHAIRMAN OF CONTRACT AWARD COMMITTEE OF ESKOM
PTY LTD SOUTH AFRICA. IT IS MY PROFOUND INTENTION TO CONTACT YOU FOR THIS
VERY IMPORTANT AND HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL TRANSACTION FOR THE TRANSFER OF
US$35,000,000,00 INTO YOUR ACCOUNT .

THE US$35,000,000,00 WAS THE OVER ESTIMATED BALANCE FROM THE CONTRACTS
AWARDED TO BOTH FOREIGN AND LOCAL CONTRACTORS THE REAL CONTRACT VALUE WAS
$120 MILLION DOLLARS BUT IT WAS OVER ESTIMATED TO US$155,000,000,00(ONE
HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY).

THE CONTRACT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULY EXECUTED BY THE CONTRACTORS AND THEIR
CONTRACT SUM OF (US$120M) HAS BEEN PAID TO THEM,LEAVING OUR OVER ESTIMATED
BALANCE OF (US$35,000,000,00) THIRTY FIVE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS STILL
PENDING AT THE BANK.

RIGHT NOW, WE ARE LEFT WITH THIS OVER ESTIMATED BALANCE OF(US$35M) WHICH IS
STILL FLOATING AT THE ESCROW ACCOUNT IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE
BANK,AWAITING FINAL PAYMENT TO ANY RELIABLE FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNT YOU MAY
PROVIDE.I AM THEREFORE ASKING YOU TO CO-OPERATE WITH ME SO THAT THE FUND WILL
BE RELEASED AND TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS MY PROPOSAL,
REPLY ME SO THAT WE CAN NEGOTIATE YOUR PERCENTAGE BEFORE WE PROCEED.

HOWEVER, WHEN THE FUND IS TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT OVER THERE, I SHALL
OBTAIN VISA AND TRAVEL WITH MY FAMILY OVER THERE FOR MY OWN SHARE OF THIS
MONEY IN THIS REGARD,I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SEND ME THE FOLLOWING INFORMATIONS
THROUGH THE EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW FOR SECURITY REASONS

YOUR NAME:
-----------------------------
YOUR OCCUPATION:
-----------------------------
YOUR ADDRESS:
-----------------------------
YOUR PRIVATE PHONE / FAX NUMBERS:
-----------

REGARDS,

MR NELSON SMITH.

KINDLY REPLY ME ON MY PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS;nelsonsmith2000@yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam