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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: Thomas Shabalala <thomas4@shabalala.website.tk>
Reply-To: <thomasgatemrrr@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2016 12:31:21 -0700
Subject: CAN I HAVE YOUR TRUST AND WORK WITH YOU

Dear Sir/Madam

How are you doing? i know you will be surprised receiving this mail from me but i got your contact online while i doing some search.
Let me start by introducing myself to you I am Mr. Thomas Shabalala, a banker from South Africa, our client died many years ago leaving behind Capital amount (US$14.6Million ) in our bank here where i work, I was his account manager ,till date nobody has come forward or put application for the claim.

I want you to come forward since I can provide you with the details needed for you to claim the Funds so that I can be gratify by you, that i will do all the crucial part in the bank to have the claim release to you promptly then we share the total funds.

Please you should understand that this business will fetch us some big money within 7 days.

I want to remind you that we have a code of conducts guiding this business deal, our rules and regulations must not be violate or breached by any party.

It's said that we must not disclose this business deal to anybody, organization or authority for our security reasons and successful transfer of the fund into your bank account, that the transaction must remain a business deal between me and you, that we must not involve a third party or disclose any information related to this business to any single person be it friends or relative to avoid eye brow and to mark the success of this legal business deal. Therefore i am the best person to advice you in this business deal.

Before we proceed i want you to realize that we are not harming anybody or family, you may ask why you are to stand as the deceased next of kin instead of a real relative of the deceased to stand for this claim, the answer to such question is simply that Late Dr. Ishrat Farooqi, had no existing relative to claim his balance of (US$14.6 Million) from the bank, since the demise of his death all effort to locate his extended relative and family members through their consulate and foreign affairs ministries where all in vain.

An-operative account can no longer exist more than six years in South African banks, after six years the account would be placed under dormant vault, then after seven years the account must be closed as unclaimed bill if the owner(s) or relatives of the account beneficiary fails to claim the fund left in the account.

Another question is when this account is closed as unclaimed bill what happens to the money, the answer is this, 70% of the total sum goes into government treasury account at the Reserve Bank of South Africa, while 30% of this fund is shared amongst the Governing Board of the Bank.

I will not agree with that leaving this fund to disappear just like a think wind is senseless when i have all the facilities required to claim this fund through your help. You are to stand as the next of kin to the deceased which i will back you up with legal documents that will determine you as the bonafide next of kin to the deceased.

Before further procedure let me give you guarantee that you will not face any queries or hindrance now or after the successful conclusion of this business deal, you can agree with me that i cannot associate myself in any business / transaction that will bring problems to me as a family as a married man and a father of three kids.

I WILL GIVE YOU 40% OF THE US$14.6 Million AS YOUR PERCENTAGE IN THIS BUSINESS.

Moreover i am a top official of the bank and i cannot just damage my hard earned reputation, my plan is to join politics and contest as a member of my country national assembly so i have no reason to dent my political carriers because of this money.

As soon as i receive your reply i will forward the bank contact details and an application form which you will send to the bank so you can contact the bank for immediate transfer of the total funds to your bank account.

Best Regards
Mr. Thomas Shabalala
Mobile: +27-63-23-95-492

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