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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.

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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:
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "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)
  • "observe utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
• This email message is a next of kin 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.
  • +27764321700 (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.
  • geraldthomsonza1@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "geraldth25 Gazeta.pl" <geraldth25@gazeta.pl>
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 06:47:38 -0700
Subject: KINDLY TREAT AS URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL.


*From Eng. Gerald Thomson, **
Principal Executive Officer,
Audit Department,
Amalgamated Bank of South Africa {ABSA)*

*Email= geraldthomsonza1@gmail.com**
Mobile +27-76-432-1700.*



*ATTN: Please,**

I am Mr. Gerald Thomson, a staff of Amalgamated Bank of South Africa {ABSA}.
I have urgent and very confidential business proposal for you. An American
Gold consultant/contractor with the South African Solid Gold Corporation,
Mr. William Bryant made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar
months, valued at (Fourteen Million Five Hundred Thousand U.S. dollars) in
my branch. Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding
address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we
discovered from his contract employers, the South African Solid Gold
Corporation that William Bryant died in a plane crash in Alaska Airlines
Flight 261(for more information about this crash and people who died you can
contact this website:
**http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/*<http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/>
* .On further investigation, I found out that he died without making a WILL,
and all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless. **
I therefore made further investigation and discovered that Mr. William
Bryant did not declare any kin or relations in all his official documents,
including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank. This sum of
US$14,500,000.00 is still sitting in my Bank and the interest is being
rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one will ever
come forward to claim it. According to Laws of Republic OF South Africa, at
the expiration of 8 (eight) years, the money will revert to the ownership of
the South African Government if nobody applies to claim the fund.
Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand in
as the next of kin to Mr.William Bryant so that the fruits of this old
man's labour will not get into the hands of some corrupt government
officials. This is simple, I will like you to provide immediately your full
names and address so that the attorney will prepare the necessary documents
and affidavits that will put you in place as the next of kin. We shall
employ the services of an attorney for drafting and notarization of the WILL
and to obtain the necessary documents and letter of probate/administration
in your favour for the transfer.
A bank account in any part of the world that you will provide will then
facilitate the transfer of this money to you as the beneficiary/next of kin.
The money will be paid into your account for us to share in the ratio of 60%
for me and 40% for you. There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for
this transaction will be done by the attorney and my position as a prominent
official of ABSA guarantees the successful execution of this transaction. If
you are interested, please reply immediately via the private email address
above. Upon your response, I shall then provide you with more details and
relevant documents that will help you understand the transaction.

Please send me your confidential telephone*/*fax numbers for easy
communication. Please observe utmost confidentiality, and rest assured that
this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall
require your assistance to invest my share in your country.**

Awaiting your urgent reply via my confidential email address:
You can contact me at all times. Please, I will be awaiting your urgent
reply. *



*Best Regards, **
Gerald Thomson,
+27-76-432-1700.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam