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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "huge sum of money" (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)
  • "trunk box" (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)
  • "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)
  • "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "your humble assistance" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a "Zimbabwe" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: thombi kilian <k.thombi01@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <k.thombi@yahoo.no>
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:42:08 +0100
Subject: Good day,



Good day,

I know you will be surprised to read this mail from me, but please consider this letter as a genuine request from a family in dire need of your humble assistance. Firstly, I must introduce myself. I am Kilian Thombi. A Citizen of Zimbabwe, but I am contacting you from Abidjan Cote D’ivoire where I am now sickening political asylum.

I am the son of Late Mr. Mathias Thombi, a wealthy farmer and senior politician with the opposition political party in my country, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Our wicked President Robert Mugabe murdered my father, before I ran way from my country because I have become his next target to eliminate. My father was a fighter for Justice and a moving force in The MDC, a party wanting to end the several years of brutal Dictatorship government of President Robert Mugabe. You will read more stories about President Mugabe's brutal acts by visiting this web site: http://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0418/zimbabwe.html

My father was accused of assisting the White farmers in fighting the government. Few weeks after his arrest, he was reported dead. The government claimed he died of heart attack and his body was never seen for proper autopsy, they buried him in the government cemetery. My father's associate Mr. Martin Olds a White farmer from Britain assisted me in fighting my father's death through the Court and media.

The Government saw us as a big treat to them and decided to eliminate us. Mr. Olds was attacked and murdered in his House, but fortunately, before they came looking for me, I received the news and I left the country through the border to South Africa to save my life, Before my arrival here in Abidjan Cote D’ivoire

Here is my reason for contacting you. My father deposited a huge Sum of money in the total sum of US$25.5M [Twenty five million, Five hundred thousand United States Dollars] presently with privet Security Company in Abidjan Cote D’ivoire, my father kept this money in one trunk box in disguise as family treasures and could not bank them because of the situation in my Country.

The government seized my father’s farms and banks account before his arrest and Murder. He told me everything concerning the funds while he was still in detention. This is why I need your assistance in securing the funds there in your Country, so that I can arrange on how to come over to your country for the investment of the fund.
I am willing to offer you 25% of the US$25.5 Million For your assistance to provide an account where the funds will be transferred into, and the remaining 75% is for my family for the investment. Please, let me know if you can assist me, so that I can give you more details on how we shall proceed. As I wait for your urgent Response, please treat this information as top secret and very confidential.

Yours truly,

Mr. Kilian Thombi (Tel 0022507044894).

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam