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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:
  • "million 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 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.
  • +27735734476 (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.
  • walterkhumalo06@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr khumalo" <waltkhumalo@homemail.co.za>
Date: Fri, 26 May 2006 11:10:09 -0100
Subject: Let,s do this.

Dear Friend,

I know that this message will come to you as a surprise since we do not
know each other before, but for purpose of introduction, I am MR.WALTER
KHUMALO, the Chief auditor of AMALGAMATED BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA (ABSA)
There is an account opened in this bank in 1980 and since 1990, nobody has
operated on this account again. 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. Smith
B.Andreas, a foreigner, and a miner at Kruger gold co., a geologist by
profession and he died since 1990. No other person knows about this account
or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my
investigation proved to me as well that his company does not know anything
about this account and the amount involved is (USD$ 26M) twenty six million
United States Dollars million dollars.
I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be
approved to a local bank here, but can only be approved to any foreign
account because the money is in us dollars and the former owner of the
account Mr. Smith B.Andreas is a foreigner too. Please reply urgently so
that I will inform you the next step to take immediately. Send also your
private telephone and fax number including the full details of the account
to be used for the deposit. I want us to meet face to face to sign a binding
agreement to bind us together as partners and then the money will be
transfered into the account particulars you provided which I presume is
safe. Hence this money is transfered will fly to your country or any other
country, which is the fund destination for withdrawal, sharing and other
investments.
I am contacting you because of the need to involve a foreigner with foreign
account and foreign beneficiary. I need your full co-operation to make this
work fine 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. If you are able and willing to handle such amount in strict
confidence and trust according to my instructions and advice for our mutual
benefit, then contact me immediately because this opportunity will never
come again in my life. I need truthful 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 transfer this money to any foreigner's
reliable account, which you can provide with assurance that this money will
be intact pending my physical arrival in your country for sharing. I will
destroy all documents related to this transaction, immediately we receive
this money, thereby leaving no trace to any place. You can also come to
discuss with me face to face if you wish that, after which I will make this
remittance in your presence and two of us will fly to your country at least
two days ahead of the money going into the account. I will apply for annual
leave to get visa immediately I hear from you, that you are ready to act and
receive this fund in your account. 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, you will be given 25% of
the total amount, 70% will be for me, and while 5% will be for expenses both
parties might have incurred during the process of transferring this fund.
I look forward to your earliest reply through my
email:walterkhumalo06@netscape.net or my telephone numbers+27-73-5734476
Yours truly,
MR WALTER KHUMALO

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam