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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• 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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• 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. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "for easy and confidential communication" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +27823434963 (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.
  • kamokai_33@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "cici kamokai" <kamokai_1@gmx.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:03:45 +0100
Subject: STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL


From  Mrs.Cecelia Kamokai
10Th Floor, Elephant House 107 Market Street Cnr Von Williegh
Johannesburg  South africa,Email
Box kamokai_33@yahoo.com                                                                                  
STRICTLY  CONFIDENTIAL
  Dear SIR/MADAM,  Compliments of the day to you and your family.I am
writing to you with much respect and honor to this letter, which must
remain private and confidential. I know my proposal will come to you as a
surprise since you do not precisely know me. Anyway, my mind accepted you
and I believe that this proposal will bring mutual benefit for both of us.
 
Let me use this medium to introduce myself to you, I am MRS  CECELIA
KAMOKAI  the wife of Alhaji Mustapha KAMOKAI, the former chairman of
Diamond National Mining Co-operation and once the Director of Works and
Housing before his untimely death. My Husband associated himself with coup
plotters that ousted the government of Ahmed Tijan Kabbah on the 25th of
May 1997 and was executed including ten (10) others.  As a result of his
death and uncontrollable war in my country, Sierra Leone, my children and I
decided to seek asylum in South Africa where my Husband had deposited
US5.5m ( Five Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) for us.
We now want to use this money for investment in your country since we do
not have anybody to assist us. Therefore, I am asking for your urgent
assistance to forward this money into your country using very confidential
and reliable means in which I will offer you 30% of the total amount for
your king assistance.
 
However, This money is safely kept in a Security Company before my husband
death under disguise as precious items and nobody has any slight knowledge
of what is inside the box deposited with the Security Company. In other
words, there is no risk involved and so not hesitate to ask questions where
necessary. All the documents covering the deposition of the money with the
Security Company are intact with my son and me. For more information,
please contact my son Richard on +27-823-434-963 to provide you with
detailed information on how the transfer of this fund can made to your
country upon acceptance. Please your private phone and fax numbers will be
mostly needed for easy and confidential communication.
 
I look forward to hearing from you immediately you receive this mail.
Thanks and may God almighty bless you.
 
Best regards,
MRS CECELIA KAMOKAIFor the family
--

Sent by GMX, http://www.gmx.com/?mc=mail@mf.hp

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam