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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: "Engr.Benjamin Mashego" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ben_mashego1@yahoo.cn>
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:03:17 +0200
Subject: INVESTMENT PROPOSAL.

Engr. Benjamin Mashego,
South Africa.
E-mail: ben_mashego@yahoo.cn, Engr.Benjamin@Go-Cavs.com

Good Day,

It's my pleasure to contact you for a business venture, which I intend to establish in your country. I write, asking for your indulgence in re-profiling funds to tune of $16,500,000:00 United States Dollars that we want kept safely overseas under your supervision.

In other words, we would like you to receive the said funds on our behalf. The Funds were derived over time from a project awarded to a foreign firm by my Department, and presently the actual contract cost have been paid to the original project executors, leaving the balance in the tune of the said amount which we have in principle obtained approval to remit overseas.

I have the authority and approval of my Partners involved in this transaction to negotiate a suitable compensation for your participation and I propose 30%, while we also propose that we receive 65% and 5% percent be earmarked for purposes of taxation. Kindly establish your response directly to the committee's representative whose name appears below for further clarifications. We wait in anticipation of your fullest co-operation.

Yours Sincerely,

Engr. Benjamin Mashego,
Tel: +27-82-646-5640.
E-mail: ben_mashego@yahoo.cn, Engr.Benjamin@Go-Cavs.com

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