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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:
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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)
  • "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 state 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)
  • "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
  • "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
  • "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 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.
  • thabombazima@gawab.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "thabombazima@gawab.com" <thabombazima2@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:17:14 +0200
Subject: URGENT REPLY NEEDED


URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL

TEL: 00 27-790 514 464

FAX: 00*27-866636389*
EMAIL CONTACT: <thabo-zuma@hotmail.co>thabombazima@gawab.com



*URGENT ASSISTANCE*



Dear Sir/Madam,



My name is *MR. THABO MBAZIMA *the son of *MR. DANIEL MBAZIMA* from
Zimbabwe. It must be a surprise to you where I got your contact. I got it
from South Africa Information Network Online *{SA}* Trade Center
*{SA}.*During the current crises against the farmers of Zimbabwe by
the supporter
of our President Robert Mugabe to claim all the white owned farms in our
country. My father was one of 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, we 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 beloved son I wish to
draw your attention to the sum of *{TEN MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS} {US$10
MILLION}* which I deposited in a box with a Security Company in South Africa
in case of my absence on earth caused by death only, you should solicit for
a reliable foreign partner to assist you to transfer this money in your
name, and it can be claimed by you alone with the deposit code. All the
documents are with your mother take care of the family. From the above you
will understand that the live 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 a 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 to transfer this money out of South Africa for
investment purposes. For your efforts I am prepared to offer you *35%* of
the total sum while *5%* will be set aside for local and international
expenses and *60%* will be kept for my family and I. 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.



*NOTE:* THE KEY WORD TO THIS TRANSACTION ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENCIAL AND
SECRACY. THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE. YOUR URGENT RESPONSE WILL BE
HIGHLY APPRECIATED. AND GIVE ME YOUR PRIVATE PHONE AND FAX NUMBER TO CONTACT
YOU.



Please try to contact me through this email address: thabombazima@gawab.com



Best regards,



*MR.THABO MBAZIMA.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam