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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
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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:

• 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.
  • +27731449939 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: ROLAND SONO <rolandsono_8@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <rolandsono@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 15:12:34 +0200
Subject: INVESTMENT INQUIRY



Engr. Roland Sono
Department of Minerals and Energy
Telephone: +27 73 1449939
Republic of South Africa.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I was a member of the Project Implementation committee, Department of Minerals and Energy, Republic of South Africa. My colleagues and I are in search of an agent to assist us in the transfer of Sixteen Million United States Dollars (US$16million) and subsequent investment in properties in your country. You will be required to:-

(1) Assist in the transfer of the said sum
(2) Provide an account to receive this fund in your country or any other part of the world

These funds emanated from over-invoiced contract executed by a foreign firm for our department sometime ago. But the original contractor has been fully paid with this over-invoice floating in our domiciliary account as an unclaimed bill.

If you are willing to assist us in the transaction, I shall give you the full information of the transaction and its completion process. I also propose to give you 20% of the total money for your assistance and total support to us on behalf me and my colleagues.

Should you be interested to assist, I would appreciate your prompt response.

Best regards,

Engr. Roland Sono
_________________________________________________________________
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http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=7+wonders+world&mkt=en-US&form=QBRE

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam