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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:
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "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 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.
  • +27836164744 (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.
  • mrmikemakhoba100@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: mike makhoba <mikemakhoba26@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 08:20:21 +0200
Subject: FROM: MIKE MAKHOBA



ATTN:FRIEND,My name is Mr.MIKE MAKHOBA, the elder son of Mr.DOUGLAS MAKHOBA of Zimbabwe. This might be a surprise to you about where I got your contact address.

I GOT YOUR COUNTACT FROM THE COMMERCIAL SECTION OF YOUR COUNTRY EMBASSY HERE IN SOUTH AFRICA JOHANNESBURG so during the current war against the farmers in Zimbabwe from the supporters 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 had deposited with one of the Security Company in Johannesburg, South Africa the sum of US$ 22,500,000 (TWENTY-TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDREDTHOUSAND U .S DOLLARS ONLY)) 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 had deposited the money in the Security Company as valuables.

So, I decided to contact overseas firm and companies that will assist me to move 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 personal phone and fax numbers for easy communication.You can contact me on the above E-MAIL .Note that this transaction is 100% risk free and absolutelyconfidential.
we advice you to contact us through our private email address ; mrmikemakhoba100@yahoo.co.uk. Tell:+27-836164744.Thanks and God bless. Regards, MR.MIKE MAKHOBAFor the family
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam