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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "first national bank" (not involved with lotteries)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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)
  • "confidentiality of this transaction" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "foreign exchange" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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.
  • +27782408232 (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.
  • r.zuma1@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Richard Zuma" <r.zuma9@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: r.zuma1@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:57:28 +0200
Subject: Attention: CEO/Managing Director!


*From Mr. Richard Zuma.*

*Phone No: +27 78 240 8232*

*Email: r.zuma1@yahoo.com*

*Attention: CEO/Managing
Director!*

*PERSONAL ASSISTANCE!! *

In my quest for a reliable and trusted partner for a highly important and
lucrative venture cum investment, I came across your contact as a reliable
partner for this venture.

I am *Mr. Richard Zuma,* one of the senior Accountants of *FIRST NATIONAL
BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA (FNB). *To highlight you on this proposal, there is an
account opened in this bank since 1980 till 1990 after which, nobody has
operated on this account again till date.

After going through some old files in the records, I discovered that if I do
not remit this money out urgently it would be forfeited for nothing. The
owner of this account is *Mr. Andreas B. Smith*, a foreigner, and a miner at
*Kruger gold co.,* a geologist by profession who died since 1990. No other
person knows about this and my investigation further proved to me that his
company does not know anything about this account and the amount involved as
he made it his personal account. The money outstanding before his
death was*(USD 18.5 Million) Eighteen Million Five Hundred Thousand
United States
Dollars.*

I am now contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved
to a national with a local bank account here. But can only be approved to
any foreign account because the money is in US dollars and the former owner,
a foreigner. I implore you to act as *foreigner and beneficiary* to the fund
as I will then intimate you on the processes abound as well as procure all
the necessary documents required to lay claim to the money.

If you are capable and willing to handle such amount in strict *confidence
and trust* according to my instructions and advice for our mutual benefit I
shall highly appreciate. I need trusted person in this business because I do
not want to make mistakes; I need your strong assurance and trust. With my
position now in the office I can effect transfer of this money to any
foreigner's reliable account, which you can provide with assurance that this
money will be intact pending my arrival in your country for disbursement. On
the alternative, you can come down here to *South Africa* for us to meet one
to one.

Send me your *private telephone and fax numbers* upon receipt of this
proposal, if you genuinely want to assist and be a co-partner. As soon as
you receive this money into a foreign account or any account of your choice
where the fund will be safe. I will proceed to your country for *onward
percentage distributions and investment*. I need your full co-operation to
make this work because the management is ready to approve this payment to
any foreigner, who has correct information of this account, which I will
give to you later immediately. I will use my position and influence to
effect legal approvals and onward transfer of this money to your account
with *appropriate clearance forms of the ministries and foreign exchange
departments.*

At the conclusion of this business, for your assistance*, 25%* of the total
amount will be accrue for you, *70%* for me, while *5% *will be for
expenses both parties might have incurred during the process of the transfer
.I implore you to maintain the *absolute confidentiality of this
transaction.*

Your earliest response is urgently awaited.

Truly Yours,

MR. RICHARD ZUMA.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam