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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:
  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:

• 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:
  • "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)
• 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.
  • thanzuma@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "THANDO ZUMA" <thanzuma@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: thanzuma@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 03:03:17 +0000
Subject: time is of the essence in this business.

I am THANDO ZUMA, a Native of Cape Town in South Africa and I am an
Executive Accountant with the South Africa Department of Mining &
Natural Resources. First and foremost, I apologized 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
(SAEPC) who was at the Government delegation to your country during a
trade exhibitiongave your enviable credentials/particulars to me. I have
decided to
seek a confidential co-operation with you in the execution of the deal
described hereunder for the benefit of all parties and hope you will keep it
as a
top secret because of the nature of this transaction.

Within the Department of Mining & Natural Resources where I work as an
director and with the cooperation of four other top officials, we have
in our possession as overdue payment bills totaling Nine Million, One
Hundred Thousand united states dollars (US$9,100,000.00) which we want to
transfer abroad with the assistance
and co-operation of a foreign company/individual to receive the said
fund on our behalf into a reliable company/individual account depending on
your
convenience.

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$9.1m)
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 Key Tested Telegraphic
Transfer (K.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 the transaction, your share of the sum will be
25% of the US$ 9.1 million, 70% for us and 5% for taxation and
miscellaneous expenses. The business 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. Endeavor to contact me immediately through my secured email
address:-thanzuma@yahoo.com and my fax number +27115075945.
whether or not you are interested in this deal. If you are not, it will
enable me contact other foreign partner with recommendation to carry
out this deal. 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.

Kindly establish your response directly by email. We wait in
anticipation of
your fullest co-operation.

Yours faithfully,
THANDO ZUMA

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam