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"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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: PRINCE STEVEN NTAYOTARA <ntayotara@wanadoo.es>
Reply-To: prince_steven@wanadoo.es
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 17:06:25 +0200
Subject: RE:THANKS FOR HELP.


Dear Sir /Madam,
You may be surprised to receive this letter from me , Since you don't known me personally. I am PRINCE STEVEN NTAYOTARA the only son of late Dr. Michael Ntayotara recently murdered in a land dispute in Zimbabwe. I got your contact
through an internet trade directory here in Italy during my search for a reputable person to handle a very confidential transaction which involves transfer of fund to a foreign account and I decided to contact you.
My father, late Dr Michael Ntayotara was among the few black rich Zimbabwean farmers that were murdered in cold blood by the agents of the ruling government of president Robert Mugabe. before his untimely death, he had deposited the sum of Nineteen Million, five Hundred United State Dollars (US$ 19,500,000.00 ) Only. This money was deposited in a private security Bank in Johannesburg South Africa to avoid demurrage. This fund was meant for the purchase of new machinery, agro-allied chemicals and establishment of new farms in Lesotho and Swaziland.
This land problem came when our president, Sir Robert Mugabe introduced a new land " Act" Modus Operandi reform which wholly affected the rich white farmers and some few blacks, A lot of people vehemently rejected the whole exercise and this resulted in rampant killings and bomb action by the war veterans and some political thugs of which my late father was one of the victims. precisely more than two hundred people have been killed so far. Government from the western world especial Britain and United State of America have voiced their condemnation on Mugabe's new act.
Based on this my family was scattered, I am staying in Italy as a refugees while my mother and my two younger sisters are staying in South Africa as refugees as well. We decided to contact you to assist us in transferring this money to your account in your country or any part the world for investment as the monetary /investment laws of South Africa and Italy prohibit refugees from running bank accounts or to be involved in any transaction /investment. Based on this fact, we are hoping that you will assist us in the name of God.
As the only son, am loaded with the responsibilities of seeking a genuine and honest person who will assist us in transferring this money out of South Africa without the knowledge of my country's government who are bent on taking everything my late father had, after confiscating all his farm lands and investment in Zimbabwe. We are absolutely left with nothing except this money. For Your kind assistance, we are offering you 17% of the total fund after the successful transfer of the fund to your account.3% will be set aside for any expenses that we might incur at the course of this transaction, while the remaining 80% will be for my family which will be used in investment in your country under your direction as we don't know anything about investment. Contact me through my private telephone number or e-mail address indicated above, prince_steven@wanadoo.es if this proposal interests you, while I implore you to maintain absolute confidentiality required in this transaction l remain,
Yours truly
Prince Steven Ntayotara
(For the family)

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