joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

Fraud email example:

From: "martins mazuri" <martins.mazuri@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: ma_mazuri1@yahoo.ca
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 13:04:08 +0000
Subject: From:Mr Martins Mazuri.

From:Mr Martins Mazuri.
CAMBRIDGE STR,
OFF LOIUS BOTHA STR,
JOHANESSBURG,
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA.
TEL:+27-73-130-8560.

ATTN:CEO/MD,

You may be surprised to recieve this letter from me since you do not know me
personally, the purpose of my introduction is that, I am MARTINS MAZURI the
first son of ROBERT MAZURI who was recently murdered in the land dispute in
Zimbabwe. I got your contact through network online hence decided to write
you,to seek for your co peration,assistance and understanding. Before the
death of my father, he had taken me to Johannesburg to deposit the sum of
US$25M (twenty five Million United States Dollars), in one of the private
security companies, as if he foresaw the looming danger in Zimbabwe. This
money was deposited in a box as germ stones and family antiques to avoid
much demurrage from the security company.

This amount was meant for the purchase of new machines and chemicals for the
farms and establishment of new farm in Swaziland. This land problem came
when Zimbabwean President Mr.Robert Mugabe introduce a new Land Act reform
which wholly affected the rich white farmers and some few blacks farmers.
And this resulted to the killing and mob action by Zimbabwean war veterans
and some lunatics in the society.

Infact, a lot of people were killed because of this land reformed Act for
which my father was one of the victim. It is against this background that, I
and my family who are currently staying in South Africa decided to transfer
my father’s money to foreign account since the law of South Africa prohibits
a refugee ( asylum seeker) to open any bank account or to be involved in any
financial transaction throughout the territorial zone of South Africa.

As the eldest son of my father, I am saddle with the responsibility of
seeking for a genuine foreign account where this money could be lodged/
transferred without the knowledge of my government who are bent on taking
everything we have got. The South African government seems to be playing
along with them.

I am faced with the dilemma of investing this amount of money in South
Africa for fear of going through the same experience in future since both
countries have similar political history . Moreover, the South African
Foreign Exchange Policy does not allow such investments for political
refugees.

As a business man, whom I have to entrust my future since both my future and
of my family are in his hands,I must let you know that this transaction is
risk free.If you accept to assist me and my family all I want you to do for
me is to make arrangements and come to Johannesburg-South Africa, so that
you can open a non-resident account which you will aid us in transferring
the money into any account which you will nominate overseas.

This money we intended to use for investment. I have two options for you,
firstly you can choose to have certain percentage of the money for
nominating your account for this transaction. Or you can go into partnership
with us for proper profitable investment of the money in your country either
in your area of expertriate or according to your directives. Whichever the
options you want, feel free to notify me we have also mapped out 5% of this
money for all kinds of expenses we mighty incurred in the process of this
transaction. If you do not prefer partnership I am willing to give you 15%
of the money while the remaining 80% will be for my family's investment in
your country.

Contact me with the above Telephone number while I implore you to maintain
the absolute secrecy required in this transaction. Best regards while hoping
in recieving your confirmention soonest for the speedy takeoff of this
project.
Yours Faithfully,

MARTINS MAZURI
(FOR MY FAMILY).


Anti-fraud resources: