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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "hundred thousand us 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.
  • murphyzulu@aim.com

Fraud email example:

From: murphy@murphyzulu.orangehome.co.uk
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 06:37:27 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: FUNDS TRANSFER PROPOSAL.


FUNDS TRANSFER PROPOSAL.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Dr. Murphy Zulu a native of Cape Town in South Africa and I am
the Director of project implementation with the South Africa Department of Mining & Energy Resources. First and foremost, I apologize 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 (SEPC) who was a member of the South African 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 transaction described hereunder for the benefit of all parties and hope you will keep it as confidential, because of the nature of this transaction. Within the Department of Mining & Natural Resources where I work as a director of project implementation and with the cooperation of four other top officials, we have in our possession as overdue payment bills totaling Eighteen Million,Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars (US$18,500,000.00) which we want to transfer abroad with the assistance and cooperation of a reliable foreign company/individual to receive the said fund on our behalf or a reliable foreign non-company account to receive such funds.

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 in the whole transaction.

This amount (US$18.5m) 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 Telegraphic Transfer (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 this transaction by way of providing the required account in receiving these funds, your share of the entire sum will be 30% while 60% amounting for me and my colleagues and 10% will be used to settle taxation and other miscellaneous expenses in the course of transferring the funds to your account.

The Transaction 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. Endeavour to contact me immediately, whether or not you are interested in this deal.
If you are not, it will enable me contact another Foreign partner with similar recommendation to carry out this transaction.

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.
Please reply urgently via my secured email address murphyzulu@aim.com and furnish me with your CONTACT ADDRESS,TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS for further details.

I wait in anticipation of your fullest co-operation. I am available to entertain any questions concerning the clarity of this transaction.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Murphy Zulu.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam