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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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Fraud email example:

From: "MANDELA ZUMA" <koss_zuma_bb@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 2005 14:55:40 +0200
Subject: URGENT REPLY NEEDED

FROM.DR.MANDELA KOSS
2B.ROSTENVILL G.R.A.
JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA.

Good day;

I am DR.MANDELA KOSS.the chief auditor of NEDBANK South Africa.I got your
contact address from your country’s Trade Journal. Your impressive and
managerial records made me to solicit for your partnership in these regards.
You are the only person that I have contacted in this business with the
believe that you will not let me down.After going through some old files in
the records department, I discovered that there is an account opened in this
bank in 1982 and since 1992, no body has operated on this account.

The owner of this account is late Mr. Jerome N. Snaga, a foreigner and a
miner at the Anglo Gold Platinum Mining Company in Mafikeng, as a geologist
by profession and he died since 1992. Up till now, no other person knows
about this account or anything concerning it, the account has no other
beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well this company does not
know anything about this account and the amount involved is US$ 10.5 Million
Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars)but I’ve not gotten
a trusted foreigner.

I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be
approved to a local bank here, but can be approved to any foreign account
because the money is in US dollars and the former owner of the account Mr.
Snaga was a foreigner and because of the need to involve a foreign account,
I need your full co-peration to make this work smoothly because the
management is ready to approve this payment to whoever that has correct
information to this account. Of which I will give to you later, if you are
able to handle such amount in strict confidence and trust according to my
instruction and advice for our mutual benefits because this opportunity will
never come again in my life.

Ineed your strong assurance reliability With my position now in the office,
I can transfer this money to any reliable account, which you can provide
with assurance that this money will be intact pending my physical arrival in
your country for sharing. I will destroy all documents of transaction
immediately we receive this money, leaving no trace of any.You can also come
to discuss with me face-to-face then the remittance will be made in the
presence of both of us. Then we will fly to your country at least two days
ahead before money gets into your account .

I have the tendency to invest my own share of the money in your country in
expectation to sound management and good capital returns according to your
advice. Be assured that you stand no risk of any kind as the fund belongs to
us now. Therefore,after the eventual stage of the
transfer of this fund, I am offering you 15% of the total fund, 80% will be
for me while 5% will be set aside for expenses that might incure during the
course of this transaction I strongly believe that associating with you to
embark on this fund, other business ventures will derive a huge success
thereafter.

I will use my position to influence to effect approvals for onward transfer
of this money to your account with appropriate clearance forms from the
ministries and foreign exchange department. I am counting on your sense of
confidentiality, as it is my desire to keep this to yourself.

Looking forward to your urgent response.

Best REGARDS

Dr Mandela Koss


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