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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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.
  • +27730892175 (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.
  • susan_shabangu@mail.com
  • susan_shabangu212@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Susan family" <susfamily_218@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 30 May 2006 15:02:34 +0200
Subject: Please treat as urgent

From: SUSAN SHABANGU
Email: susan_shabangu@mail.com
OR
susan_shabangu212@yahoo.co.uk

Dear Sir/Madam

I am quite sure that this mail will surprise you.First, let me start by
introducing myself as MRS SUSAN SHABANGU, a mother of three children and the
Deputy Minister, Safety and Security,
since 29th April 1996 to date under the auspices of the President of South
Africa MR THABO MBEKI. After due deliberation with my children, I decided to
contact you for your assistance in standing as a beneficiary to the sum of
(US$35 Million United States Dollars). After the swearing in ceremony making
me the Deputy Ministry, Safety and Security, my husband Mr. Ndelebe Shabangu
died while he was on an official trip to Trinidad and Tobago in 1996.

After his death, I discovered that he had some funds in a dollar account
which amounted to the sum of (US$35 Million) with a security and finance
institution in South Africa of which I will divulge information to you when
I get your full consent and support to go for a change of beneficiary and
subsequent transfer of the funds into you a comfortable and conducive
account of your choice. This fund emanated as a result of an over-invoiced
contract, which he executed with the Government of South Africa. Though I
assisted him in getting this contract but I never knew that it was
over-invoiced by him. I am afraid that the government of South Africa might
start to investigate on contracts awarded from 1990 to date. If they
discover this money in his bank account, they will confiscate it and seize
his assets here in South Africa and this will definitely affect my political
career in Government.

I want your assistance in opening an account so that this fund could be
wired into your account directly without any hitch. As soon as the fund gets
to your account,you are expected to move it immediately into another
personal bank account in your country. I will see to it that
the account is not traced from South Africa. As soon as you have confirmed
the fund into your account, I will send my eldest son with my attorney to
come to your country to discuss on business investments.

For your assistance, I am offering you 15% of the principal sum. However,
you have to assure me and also be ready to go into agreement with me that
you will not elope with my fund if you agree to my terms, kindly as a matter
of urgency send me an email. Due to my sensitive position in the South
African Government, I would not WANT YOU TO CALL ME ON PHONE or send a FAX
to me. All correspondence must be by email to my private email address, if
you want to speak with my Banker, which is fine and okay by me. You will
have to send down your private
telephone /fax number so that I can forward it to him to reach you from time
to time this is for security reasons. Please I do not need to remind you of
the need for absolute Confidentiality if this transaction must succeed.

Please reply to the above Email address and feel free to contact my son Tony
Shabangu on +27-73-0892 175, he is grown up and can still attend to you in
my absence.

Yours faithfully,
MRS SUSAN SHABANGU

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam