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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.

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)
  • "hundred thousand 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.
  • +27837706284 (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.
  • fideliswilliamss@yahoo.com
  • fideliswilliamss@galmail.co.za (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MRS.LORA WILLIAMS" <llorawilliams10@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2006 13:38:22 +0000
Subject: INVITATION FOR PARTNERSHIP (URGENT)

Mrs. Lora Williams.
Kiddis court, 18 Goldman Street,
Florida, Gauteng Johannesburg,
South Africa.
TEL: +27-837706284

INVITATION FOR PARTNERSHIP (URGENT)

Dear Sir/Madam,

With due respect, trust and humility, I write to you this proposal, which I
believe would be of great interest to you. I find your contact while I was
doing a private research on the Internet for a reliable and capable foreign
partner that will assist my family and I to transfer fund to his personal or
private account and for investment purpose. I am Mrs. Lora Williams. The
wife of Late Mr. Samuel Williams, who was the "Chairman" of the farmer’s
co-operation in Zimbabwe.

It will be necessary to inform you that the {US$11.5M} Eleven Million Five
Hundred Thousand united states dollars) intended for pitalization of the
investments are presently in the custody of a private security company here
in Johannesburg, South Africa which we require to transfer out of South
Africa immediately for the said investment purposes.

You may have heard of the present crisis in Zimbabwe orchestrated by the
unprecedented Land use Act of the government of Robert Mugabe in which this
government has arbitrarily reclaimed and acquired all farmlands owned by the
white farmers in the country.

This has caused a historical displacement of the white folks who are known
to be the country's main farmers. The ensuing struggles and strife have
brought about the killing and imprisonment of thousands of these white farm
owners by the ruthless government forces designated to enforce this new
order.
My husband, in his good will, joined the international community in
condemning and speaking out against this uncivilized and bizarre policy of
Robert Mugabes government. As a result of my husband firm and upright
position on this matter, a group of assailants suspected to be government
sympathizers attached and killed my husband in cold blood.

Seeing that the entire William’s family was in serious threat of extinction,
we immediately fled Zimbabwe to South Africa, where we have sojourned ever
since as refugee under the United Nations. Prior however, to my husband
untimely death he had sensing the rising hostilities, sold some of his farm
lands including those of some of his white farmer associates who had
transferred ownership of their farm lands to my husband to forestall the
government acquiring them. My husband secretly sent the proceeds {US$11.5m}
Eleven Million Five Hundred Thousand United States dollars from sales of the
farmlands to South Africa. And deposited it in a metal box with a private
security company here in Johannesburg.

We are presently in South Africa as Refugee (Asylum Seekers) We are ready to
come in terms on what you will want my family to offer you for your
assistance in this transaction, for the inconveniences this we cost you and
for accepting to assist us, contact me on the above phone and fax number
indicating your interest as soon as possible, on receiving of your
acceptance, or my son Fidelis Williams in South Africa with me, e-mail
address: fideliswilliamss@yahoo.com OR fideliswilliamss@galmail.co.za , We
shall be glad to give you more clarification on the modalities needed for
smooth successful completion of this transaction.

It is equally important to state here that considering the nature of this
matter, we will required that it is handled most discreetly.

I anticipate your quick response.
Best regard.

Mrs. Lora Williams.
(For the family)

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam