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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  • "money laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
  • ",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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
• 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.
  • +27737498211 (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.
  • mrjefold@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: " A TOBACCO FARMER IN ZIMBWABWE" <email3@mackene.info>
Reply-To: mrjefold@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2008 08:48:07 +0000
Subject: OLDS INFORMED


Dear Sir/ Madam,

Don't be surprised to receive this letter; I am JEFF OLDS, son of (Mr. Olds Martin) A TOBACCO FARMER IN ZIMBWABWE) my father was murdered by Zimbabwe veterans and critic lack people of ZANU-PF ruling party, if you are conversant with CNN AFRICA. Before the death of my father on the 04 March 2001, he was a prosperous tobacco and coffee farmer who has invested much in agricultural sector and a very major sponsor of the opposition party MOVEMENT OF DEMOCRATIC CHANGE).

President ROBERT MUGABE and his ZANU-PF ruling party with the new land reform system, the government land being occupied by whites and some rich farms who are opposing his consistent stay in power and radical and unnecessary reforms targeted to dehumanizing his political opponents and high rate of abuse of human rights which led to the killing of some members of opposition party including my father, MR. OLDS MARTIN. My father deposited the sum of Eighteen Million USD (US$18,000,000.00) with a security and financial company here in the Johannesburg , South Africa with the intention of using it for acquiring new farm equipments.

With the high risk of staying in my country we are now on political asylum (refugee) here in Republic of South Africa, my position does not allow me to open an account or to normalize this fund to any meaningful business transaction, I want you to understand that this is purely family fund not money laundering affair. I solicit for your honest assistance to a family shattered by lyric government. I want this fund to be transferred to your nominated account overseas, with your partnership; I will invest in your country. I and my mother have agreed to offer you 25% of the fund for your kind assistance then 5% will be for any possible expenses that might occur in the process of the transaction while 70% will be for my family investment in your country. Be assured that all the necessary documents backing this fund have been
arranged by my attorney and me, so feel free to ask any question regarding this transaction. Practically, once you show your willingness to assist us, we can arrange of when to come down here in South Africa . Hoping to hear from you soonest, kindly contact me through my mobile phone number +27737498211 OR you mail me on this email: mrjefold@yahoo.com to facilitate this transaction. For more information regarding the truth of my proposal kindly link to this website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/715001.stm
I need your urgent and confident response towards this matter.
Yours sincerelyJEFF. OLDS (MR).
Email: mrjefold@yahoo.com
Tell: +27737498211

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam