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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:
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "transferred into your bank account" (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.
  • +27832453599 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: philip sipho <philip31sipho@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 10:44:00 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Hello


FROM THE OFFICE DESK OF ;
MR PHILIP SIPHO
Tel+27-83-2453-599


Dear Friend,

Please excuse my personnel approach. I am a principal accountant with the Department of Housing in the Republic of South Africa. I am wondering if perhaps you might consent to assist me in a highly pressing financial transfer requiring speed and confidentiality.

My colleagues and I have arranged to transfer to a nominated foreign bank account the sum of USD$18.5Million Dollars from over-invoicing of a capital project (contract) and supply to our department. Up till now, payments for foreign contractors and suppliers are dispatched to nominated foreign bank account beneficiaries through an operational structure that my colleagues and I occupy. However, for obvious reasons we cannot present ourselves or use our personal bank accounts as beneficiaries of this said amount because we are public servants and are prohibited from operating or transferring large funds through our private bank account. Therefore, I was entrusted with the task of transferring the money to an overseas bank account for privacy and investment purposes.

I would deeply oblige you to kindly present yourself, if you can on our behalf as the beneficiary of the USD18.5 Million Dollars. We have taken the necessary precaution in securing all documentation with regards to a safe transaction to avoid suspicion and unnecessary delays, and we are anxious to transfer the money out of an Escrow Account to avoid detection of the anomaly. I decided to contact you with the hope that your background presents an ideal candidate to trust with a transaction of this magnitude.

If you should decide to assist us; it is our intention to let you have 30% of the total money transferred into your bank account, while 5% will be set aside as refund for any outlays or expenses incurred in executing the transfer.
Please, Note that this is strictly private and confidential transaction and we expect you to respect its anonymity.

Thanks for your anticipated co-operation.

Best Regards

Philip Sipho (Mr)




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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam