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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "MRS. SUSAN SHABANGU" <shabangu@ourwest.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: shabangu1@ourwest.com
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 13:19:23 +0300
Subject: MRS. SUSAN SHABANGU

From: Mrs Susan Shabangu
Dept. Mins: Safety & Security
Private Bag X463, PRETORIA, 0001
Wachthuis, Thuvalk Arcade
Pretoria,
South Africa
www.gov.za <http://www.gov.za/
PLEASE SEND YOUR REPLY TO :shabangu1@ourwest.com
Dear Friend,
First, let me start by introducing myself as MRS SUSAN
SHABANGU, a mother of three children and the Deputy Minister,
Safety and Security, since 29th April 1996
to date under the auspices of the President of South
Africa MR THABO MBEKI.
After due deliberation with my children, I decided to
contact you for your assistance in standing as a
beneficiary to the sum of US$30.5M ( THIRTY Million,
FIVE Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only) You
can view my profile at my website www.gov.za <http://www.gov.za/> then
click on contact information, then also click at deputy ministers,
then click on my office (Safety and Security) shabangu susan.
After the swearing in ceremony making me the Deputy Ministry,
Safety and Security, my husband Mr Ndelebe Shabangu died while he
was on an official trip to Trinidad and Tobago in
1996.
After his death, I discovered that he had some funds
in a dollar account which amounted to the sum of
US$30.5 Million with a security and finance institution in
South africa of which i will divulge information to
you when I get your full consent and support to go for
a change of beneficiary and subsequent transfer of the
funds into you a comfortable and condusive account of
your choice.
This fund emanated as a result of an over-invoiced
contract which he executed with the Government of
South Africa. Though I assisted him in getting this
contract but I never knew that it was over-invoiced by
him. I am afraid that the government of South Africa
might start to investigate on contracts awarded from
1990 to date. If they discover this money in his bank
account, they will confiscate it and seize his assets
here in South Africa and this will definetely affect
my political career in government.
I want your assistance in opening an account so that this fund
could be wired into your account directly without any hitch.
As soon as the fund gets to your account, you are expected to move it
immediately into another personal bank account in your
country.
I will see to it that the account is not traced from
South Africa. As soon as you have confirmed the fund
into your account, I will send my eldest son with my
Attorney to come to your country to discuss on
business investments. For your assistance, I am
offering you 20% of the principal sum.
However, you have to assure me and also be ready to
go into agreement with me that you will not elope with my fund.
If you agree to my terms, kindly as a matter of urgency send me an
email.
Due to my sensitive position in the South African Government,
I would not WANT YOU TO CALL ME ON PHONE or send a FAX to me.
All correspondence must be by email to my private email address,
If you want to speak with my Banker, that is fine and okay by me.
You will have to send down your private telephone /fax number so that
I can forward it to him to reach you from time to time
this is for security reasons.
Please I do not need to remind you of the need
for absolute Confidentiality if this transaction
must succeed. If you do not feel comfortable
with this transaction, please ignore this mail,
and pretend you never received this information.
Thanks for your anticipated co-operation and my
regards to your family.
Yours faithfully,
MRS. SUSAN SHABANGU
Deputy Minister of
Safety and Security
PLEASE SEND YOUR REPLY
shabangu1@ourwest.com



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