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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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  (+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:

• 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:
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "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)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (they don't want anyone to point out to you that this is a scam)
• 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.
  • mutambaraharriet40@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Harriet Mutambara" <mutambaraharriet40@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:13:14 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Greetings from Zimbabwe.


Dear Mr. S. Mullstein,

How are you today I hope all is well with you and your family?

Let me use this opportunity to thank you very much for responding to my mail message to you and to let you know that yes I was the person that sent you a mail regarding my family plea for help and you indeed reply to the right person. Please I need your help in actualizing my goals so that I can give my children a better Life back. I want you to know that this transaction means a lot to my family and the success of this transaction will have great benefit to both families.

However, I want you to know that my family needs your help in making claiming of our family fund in South Africa which was deposited in a security company by my late husband. I want you to know that during the current Crisis against the farmers of the Zimbabwe by supporters of our president Robert Mugabe to claim all the white owned farms in our country, the president ordered all the white farmers to surrender their farms to his party members and their followers. My husband was one of the best farmers in the country and knowing that he did not support the president's political ideology, the president supporters invaded my husband's farm burnt down everything, killed him and confiscated all his investments.

Before the death of my husband, he took me to South Africa to deposit the sum of US$15Million United States Dollars with a Security &Finance Company, as he knew the looming danger in Zimbabwe. The money was deposited as gem of precious stones to avoid much demurrage from the Security Company. This money was meant for buying of new machineries and chemical for farms and establishment of new farms in Lesotho and Swaziland.

We need some one that we stand as the next of kin of the fund. Since my son who is the next of kin can not be able to claim the fund since he is residing as an asylum seeker in South Africa and the law in South Africa does not permit an asylum seeker to open an account or for any organization to have any financial dealing with a refugee unless he or she cancels their refugee status,.

Meanwhile, the Security Company has given us the permission to nominate another next of kin who can stand as the new beneficiary to claim the fund on my family behalf that is the more reason we contacted you for your assistance in standing as the new beneficiary.

However, I have spoken to a Banker friend of the family who also knows about this fund in the custody of the security company and also has agreed to assist and guide us on how to go about this transaction so that we do not go against the law of both countries including the IMF monetary polices.

Please let me know if we can work together in actualizing the success of this transaction for the benefit of both families as this will enable me to get the approver of the banker and send to you so that you can contact him on my family behalf. For your assistance in this regard, it will interest you to know that we will be willing to come to terms with you regarding the percentage you will want my family to offer you for helping us actualize this matter.

Thank and I await your response. please let us handle all communication with utmost confidentiality for the interest of all involve in this transaction.

Sincerely Yours

Mrs. Harriet Mutambara
For the family.
Here with my private e-mail address for you mutambaraharriet40@yahoo.com



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam