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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.

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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)
  • "hundred thousand us 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)
  • "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)
  • "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.
  • +27787760404 (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.
  • familyzuma@jmail.co.za

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: zumafamily@webmail.co.za
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:55:17 -0800 (PST)
Subject: "Greeting" +27 787760404,,,



FROM: MRS. JULIET ZUMA,
N0 6569 HIGH WAY AVENUE,=20
JOHANNESBURG=A0 CITY=20
SOUTH AFRICA.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=20

Greetings!=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 (URGENT&CONFIDENTAIL)=20
=A0
Attention: Dear Sir/Madam,
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=20
You may be surprised to receive this strange letter from me. I am Mrs. Juli=
et Zuma, the wife of Mr. John Zuma of Zimbabwe . I got your=A0 address from=
an internet web site. After due consideration from your profile, I became =
aware and assured of your credibility to help me.=A0=20

=A0 My husband was among the rich black farmers in Zimbabwe who were=A0 mur=
dered in cold blood by the agent of the ruling government of president Robe=
rt Mugabe because my husband was against the method adopted by the=A0 gover=
nment on new land reform act that wholly affected the white farmers in Zimb=
abwe. Before the Invasion, my husband took me to=A0 South Africa=A0 as if h=
e foresaw the looming danger in Zimbabwe and deposited US$11,400,000.00 (El=
even million, four hundred thousand US dollars) with a security and financi=
al company in South Africa . Please verify the information I have given you=
on this web site: http://www.newzimbabwe.com/. This money was for buying f=
arm lands in Lesotho , Swaziland , and also machinery for the farm.=20

=A0=A0 Heads of government from western world, especially Britain and the U=
..S.A, have voiced their condemnation against Mugabe's new land reform act. =
It is against this background that my family has mandated me to seek assist=
ance to transfer this money to a foreign account for investment purposes. P=
resently, I am residing in=A0 South Africa=A0 as an asylum seeker.=A0 Howev=
er, I cannot invest this money here in=A0 South Africa=A0 because Zimbabwe =
and=A0 South Africa=A0 are close countries and have almost the same politic=
al history.=20

And with the financial laws of South Africa , as an asylum seeker, I have n=
o right to own or open a bank account in my name here in South Africa . Fro=
m the above, you can understand that my entire life and family's future dep=
ends on this money. I shall be grateful if you can assist me transfer this =
money out of=A0 South Africa=A0 into your company or personal account for i=
nvestment purposes as my next of kin and my late husband's business partner=
..=20

=A0=A0 Please note that this transaction is 100% risk free, and for your ef=
fort, I am prepared to offer you 20% of the total sum. Also, I have decided=
to use 5% of this money to settle any expenses you may incure during the p=
rocess of this transfer. The balance I intended to invest in a profitable v=
enture in your country or anywhere you may advice. The major thing I expect=
from you is absolute assurance that this money will be safe when transferr=
ed to your account.=A0 But if you don't want me to offer you 20% what will =
be your percentage for assisting us?=20

=A0 If this proposal is accepted by you, please reply urgently through my p=
rivate Email address (familyzuma@jmail.co.za) for security reason and get i=
n touch with my son Mr. Kanga Zuma through his phone +27-78 776 0404 so tha=
t he will then furnish you with more details. I will appreciate if you main=
tain the confidentiality of this matter because of the happenings in my cou=
ntry - Zimbabwe .=20
=A0=20
Yours sincerely
Mrs. Juliet Zuma.=0A=0A=0A

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam