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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
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• 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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "might come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• 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.
  • tonyshabalala@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: tonyshabalala@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 18:30:50 +0200
Subject: REQUEST FOR URGENT TRANSFER OF FUND

FROM: MR. TONY SHABALALA.
180 queen’s street Malvern 2094
Johannesburg South Africa
TEL: + 27-734-507 645
tonyshabalala@yahoo.com
Attn: Director C.E.O.,

SUBJECT: ASSISTANCE FOR FUNDS TRANSFER

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Mr. TONY SHABALALA I am the Chief auditor department of fund release order in the (FIRST NATIONAL BANK) South Africa, East Gate Branch. I know that this letter might come to you as a surprise, but take it like your own deal. Mr. M .K GUMA, from India executed a contact through the department of Aviation here in South Africa, the contract worth (US$29,499,000, 00) but on the process of transferring the money to him he died with his family in earthquake disaster that occurred in India, we involved you to authenticate this claim. Meanwhile, this money has signed to be paid in my office before I will give order to the bank for final endorsement of his money. Nobody knows what is going on except my assistance and me. This is his information:

Contract sum of US$29,499,000,00.
Contract number: DFR/DA/3-X99/2000.

You will act like the beneficiary of this money; I will give you more information about the transaction immediately you accept to co-operate with us. At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 35% of the total amount, 60% will be for my assistance, and me while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during the process of transferring. Await your urgent reply.
Best regards

MR. TONY SHABALALA.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam