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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million us 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)
  • "contact me immediately" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "foreign remittance department" (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 next of kin 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.
  • +27782352915 (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.
  • george_lekota_gl@hotmail.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "GEORGE LEKOTA" <george_lekota_33@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2006 10:29:34 +0100
Subject: PLEASE READ URGENT REPLY.

FROM THE DESK OF [MR. GEORGE LEKOTA]
BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER ABSA BANK.
[JOHANNESBURG – SOUTH AFRICA]
TEL:+27 782 352 915.

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

IMMEDIATE ATTENTION! , IT IS MY PLEASURE TO CONTACT YOU FOR ASSISTANCE AND BUSINESS CO-OPERATION.I KNOW THE CONTACT OF THIS LETTER MIGHT BE SURPRISING TO YOU.BUT I ASSURE YOU THAT EVERY WORD OF IT IS TRUE.EVEN THOUGH WE HARDLY KNOW EACH OTHER I BELIEVE YOU CAN HELP ME.MEANWHILE, I GOT YOUR CONTACT IN THE WORLD BUSINESS DIRECTORY.

 

I am the manager of bill and exchange at the foreign remittance department Absa Bank In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of [$15m us dollars][fifteen million us dollars]. In account that belongs to one of our foreign customer who died along with his entire family in November [1999] in an Auto crash.

 

Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin to come over and claim his money because we can not release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines, but unfortunately we Lent that all his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with him at the Auto crash leaving nobody behind for the claim. It is therefore upon this discovery that I decided to make this business proposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since, nobody is coming for it and we don't want this money to go into the Bank treasury as unclaimed bill.

 

Our Banking law and guideline here stipulate that if such money remained unclaimed after ten years, the money will be transfer into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request of foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a [SOUTH AFRICA NATIONALITY] cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner. [40%] of this money will be for you as foreign partners respect to the provision of a foreign account, and [60%] would be for me.

 

There after I will visit your country for disbursement according to the percentages indicated. Therefore to enable the immediate transfer of this fund to you as arranged, you must apply first to the bank as relations or next of kin of the deceased indicating your bank name, your bank account number, your private telephone and fax number for easy and effective communication and location where the money will be remitted.

 

Upon receipt of your reply i will send to you by fax or email, with the text of application. And I will not fail to bring you notice that, this transaction is hitch free and that you should not entertain any atom of fear as all required arrangements have been made for the transfer.

 

You should contact me immediately as soon as you receive this letter.

Please Reply at, george_lekota_gl@hotmail.co.uk

 

Regard,

 

[MR. GEORGE LEKOTA]

ABSA BAK OF SOUTH AFRICA.
BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER DEPERTMENT.

 

TEL:+27 782 352 915.

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam