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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "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. )
  • "huge amount of money" (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)
  • "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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a orphan scam.
• 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.
  • +27849527833 (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.
  • princendumisobulawayo002@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "ndumiso bulawayo" <princendumisobulawayo1@telegraf.by>
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 20:55:43 +0200
Subject: PRIVATE BUSINESS COLLABORATION


*FROM: PRINCE NDUMISO BULAWAYO
EMAIL: princendumisobulawayo002@yahoo.com
PHONE:+278 49 52 7833**
Dear Sir/Madam,


PROPOSAL FOR URGENT BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.

My name is PRINCE NDUMISO BULAWAYO the eldest son of LATE CHIEF ZUMA
BULAWAYO, the late paramount chief of BULAWAYO PROVINCE of Zimbabwe.

I got your contact address from the Johannesburg online service centre.
During the current war against white farmers in Zimbabwe, sponsored
by our President Robert Mugabe to claim all the white-owned farms to his
party members and his followers, in which he ordered all white farmers
to surrender all farms to his party members and his followers. My
father as a traditional ruler was in favour of white farmers as he wanted
development in his rural council and because he did not support Mugabe's
ideas, Mugabe's supporters invaded my father's palace and burnt
everything in his compound, killing my father and most of his guards and
some
members of the ruling council who were attending a meeting in his
palace. Unknown to our family, before his death, my father had deposited a
huge amount of money in a Security Company in Johannesburg, South
Africa the sum of US$20 MILLION (TWENTY MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS).
After the death of my father, we decided to move to the Republic of South
Africa where he had deposited the money and other valuable items in the
Security Company.

So I decided to contact overseas firm or individual that can assist me
to move this money out of South Africa because we are here as asylum
seekers this residence status does are not allowed us to operate any Bank
Account within South Africa.

We have agreed to offer you 30% of the total sum for your assistance,
while 70% will be for me and my family to invest in your country.

All I want you to do is to furnish me with your personal phone and fax
numbers for easy communication. You can contact me on the above email
address. Note that this transaction is 100% Risk free and absolutely
confidential.

Thanks and God bless.

Best Regards,

PRINCE NDUMISO BULAWAYO,

(For The Family.)*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam