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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
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• 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:

• 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. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "for your efforts, i am prepared to offer you " (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)
  • "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)
  • "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "the key word to this transaction is absolute 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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• 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.
  • +27733431054 (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.
  • roymartino@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "martin roy" <roymartinx@yamal.info>
Reply-To: roymartino@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2008 15:56:33 +0200
Subject: ATTN: PRESIDENT / MANAGING DIRECTOR.


URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL
FROM MR ROY MARTIN
TEL +27 733431054
Email: roymartino@yahoo.com
SOUTH AFRICA

ATTN: PRESIDENT / MANAGING DIRECTOR.

Dear Sir,

My name is Mr Roy Martin, the elder son of Mr. Smith Matthewson Martin of
Zimbabwe. It might be a surprise to you where I got your contact address
from,I got it from the South Africa Information Network Online(SAINL)/South
Africa Trade Center (SATC).

During the current crises against the farmers of Zimbabwe by the supporters
of our President Robert Mugabe to claim all the white owned farms in our
country, he ordered all the white farmers to surrender their farms to his
party members and their followers. My father was one of the best farmers in
the country and knowing that he did not support the president's political
ideology, the president's supporters invaded my father's farm ,burnt down
everything, shot him and as a result of the wounds sustained, he became sick
and died after two days.And after his death, My mother and I with my younger
Brother decided to move out of Zimbabwe for the safety of our lives to
South-Africa.

BUT, before he died HE WROTE HIS WILL ,which reads "(MY BELOVEED SON ,I WISH
TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SUM OF $15.7 MILLION U.S DOLLARS WHICH I
DEPOSITED IN A BOX WITH A SECURITY COMPANY IN JOHANNESBURG (SOUTH-AFRICA).
IN CASE OF MY ABSENCE ON EARTH CAUSED BY DEATH ONLY".you should solicit for
reliable foreign partner to assist you to transfer this money out of
SOUTH-AFRICA for investment purpose.
I deposited the money in your Name "Roy Martin" and it can be claimed by you
alone with the deposit code, your mother has all the documents,Take good
care of your mother and brother." From the above, you will understand that
the lives and future of my family depends on this money as much, I will be
very grateful if you can assist us.We are now living in South-Africa as
POLITICAL ASYLUM SEEKERS and the financial law of SOUTH-AFRICA does not
allow ASYLUM SEEKERS certain financial rights to such huge amount of money .

In view of this, I cannot invest this money in South-Africa, hence I am
asking you to assist us transfer this money out of South-Africa for
investment pusposes. For your efforts, I am prepared to offer you 20% of the
total fund, while 5% will be set aside for local and international expenses
and 75% will be kept for my family and I.(ME).Finally ,modalities on how the
transfer will be done will be conveyed to you once we establish trust and
confidence between ourselves.Looking forward to your urgent reply (
roymartino@yahoo.com) or call me +27 733431054

NOTE: THE KEY WORD TO THIS TRANSACTION IS ABSOLUTE CONFIDENTIALITY AND
SECRACY. THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE. YOUR URGENT RESPONSE WILL BE
HIGHLY APPRECIATED.

All the best,

Roy Martin.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam