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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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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "may come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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)
  • "foreign exchange" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
• 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.
  • +27737966806 (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.
  • budaalfred3@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "smith wool" <drsmithwoolwinning@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:50:53 +0200
Subject: PRIVATE BUSINESS COLLOBORATIONS


*
*
**
**
*Mr.Buda Alfred*
**
*Absa Bank Of South Africa*
**
*Absa Building, *
*Pretorius and Van der Walt Streets, *
**
*P.O. Box 3915 Pretoria 0001 *
**
*Mobile num: +27 7 379 66806*
*EMAIL:budaalfred3@yahoo.com <budaalfred3@yahoo.com>*
*South Africa. *
**
**
**
**
*Dear Sir/Madam,*

*I know that this message may come to you as a surprise since we do not know
each other before, but for purpose of introduction, I am Mr. Buda Alfred, an
Auditor in ABSA BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA. During my auditing work in the bank, I
found out about an account opened in this bank in 1992and since 2000 nobody
has operated on this account.

After going through some old files in the record, I discovered that the
owner of this account is Mr. ENIDMURIEL COETZEE, a foreigner, and a miner at
Kruger Gold Co,who **died since1997.No other person knows about this account
or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my
investigation proved to me as well that his Company does not know anything
about this account and the amount involved is THIRTY TWO Million United
States dollars (USD$32M).

I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be
approved to a local bank here, but can only be app roved to any foreign
account because the money is in US dollars and the former owner of the
account Mr ENIDMURIEL COETZEE, is a foreigner too.

I need your full co-operation to make this work, because the management is
ready to approve the transfer of this money to any foreigner who has correct
information of this account, which I will give to you later. If you are
able and willing to handle such amount in strict confidence and accordingto
my instructions and advice for our mutual benefit because this is alife time
opportunity. With my position now in the office I can lobby for the transfer
this money to your account, which you will provide with the assurance that
the money will be intact pending my physical arrival in your country for
sharing. I will destroy all documents of transaction immediately this money
is transferred, leaving no trace to any place.
I will apply for my annual leave to get visa immediately I hear from you
that you are ready to act and receive this fund in your account.

I will use my position and in fluence to effect legal approvals and onward
transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance forms of
the ministries and foreign exchange departments.
This my Private Email Address; budaalfred3@yahoo.com*
*
Please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take
immediately. Send also your private telephone and fax numbers including the
full details of the account to be used for the deposit.At the conclusion of
this business, you will get 30% of the total amount,65% will be for me,
while 5% will be for expenses both parties might incur during the transfer
process.
Your Telephone and Fax numbers are urgent.
I look forward to your earliest reply.
*

**
**
**
**

*PLEASE YOUR TELEPHONE AND FAX IS URGENT.
Yours faithfully.
Mr.Buda Alfred*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam