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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: "Professor Benedict Nomvete" <benedictnomvete@netscape.net>
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 12:33:52 +0100
Subject: BUSINESS PROPOSAL


Prof.Benedict Nomvete
Pretoria
South Africa
Private Email:benedictnomvete@netscape.net

FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION:

I am Benedict Nomvete,a Native of Cape Town in South Africa
and an
engineer working with the South Africa Department of Mining
& Energy.

First and foremost I apologise for using this medium to
reach you for
a transaction of this magnitude but this is due to
confidentiality
and prompt access reposed on this medium.

Be informed that a member of the South Africa Export
Promotion
Council (SEPC) who was part of my government delegation to
your
country during a recent Trade Exhibition gave your enviable
credentials/particulars to me while assuring me on your
competence
to handle a business transaction involving a large sum of
money
with absolute confidentiality.

Therefore I have decided to seek a confidential co-operation
with you in the execution of the deal described hereunder
for
the benefit of all parties and while hoping you will keep it
as top secret because of the nature of this transaction.

Within the Department of Mining & Energy where I work as a
Director and with the cooperation of three other top
officials,
we have in our possession an overdue contract payment bills
totalling Sixteen Million,Four Hundred Thousand United
States
Dollars(US$16,400,000.00).This money which we intend to
process
its transfer as a form of contract payment into a reliable
company/individual account depending on your convenience.

Your assistance and co-operation is required due to the
circumstances surrounding our work as government officials
whereby the South Africa Civil Service Code of Conduct does
not
allow us to operate an Offshore Bank account hence your
importance in the whole transaction.

Presently, this amount (US$16.4M) representing the balance
of
the total contract value executed on behalf of my Department
by
a foreign contracting firm which we the officials
over-invoiced
deliberately is lying unclaimed in the government escrow
bank
account with Reserve Bank of South Africa.We hereby seek
your
assistance and co-operation that will enable us to process
this
sum of money to you as a form of contract payment.

We have the necessary authority to validate and forward
approvals
of outstanding contract claims to the government for final
payment
on approval through the Reserve Bank of South Africa (RSBA).

All partners agreed while mandating me to propose that
should
you be willing to assist us in the transaction, your share
of the
sum will be 25% of the US$16.4 million,70% will be for us
and 5%
for any expenses incurred in the course of this project
including
telephone and fax bills.

The business itself is 100% safe on your part provided you
treat
it with utmost secrecy and confidentiality.Also note that
your area
of specialisation is not an hindrance to the successful
execution
of this transaction.

I have reposed my confidence in you while awaiting your
prompt
response through the private email address above to notify
me of your
capability to assist us in achieving success in this
transaction.

Finally on your part,we will appreciate you treat this
transaction as
a very confidential while we assure you of a 100% risk free
transaction
provided you follow our instructions totally.

I await your confirmation of my message while praying that
this
will be the begining of a lifelong partnership between us.
Thank you for your co-operation.

Yours faithfully,

Prof.Benedict Nomvete



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