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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: "caleb martins" <caleb4martins@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 05 Jul 2005 12:05:38 +0200
Subject: STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

FROM: DR. CALEB MARTINS
5 RIDER HAGGARD CLOSE, 2001
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

TEL: 27-83-929-3300

ATTN: MANAGING DIRECTOR/C.E.O.

My greetings,

TRANSFER OF (US$10.5 MILLION) TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STTES
DOLLARS

We want to transfer to overseas (US$10.5 Million) from the Amalgamated Bank
of South Africa ABSA. I want to ask you to quietly look for a reliable and
honest person who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank
account or to set up a new bank account immediately to receive this money,
even an empty account can serve to receive this money, as long as you will
remain honest to me till the end for this important business, trusting in
you and believing in God that you will never let me down either now or in
future.

I am Dr. Caleb Martins, the Auditor General of ABSA, during the course of
our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank
in 1990 and since 1993 nobody has operated on this account again. After
going through some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of
the account died without a heir; hence the money is floating and if I do not
remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing. The owner
of this account is Mr. Allan P. Seaman, a foreigner and an industrialist, he
died since 1993. And 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 that Allan P. Seaman until his death was the manager of
Diamond Safari (Pty.) South Africa.

We want to transfer this sum US$10.5 million (Ten Million five hundred
thousand US Dollars) into a safe foreigners account abroad, but I don?t know
any foreigner, I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money
can not be approved to a local person here, but can only be approved to any
foreigner with valid international passport or drivers licence. The money
is in US Dollars and the former owner of the account Mr. Allan P. Seaman is
a foreigner too and the money can only be approved into a foreign account.
Considering the recommendation I received in your favour by the South Africa
Chamber of Commerce as regards your suitability and reliability in carrying
out this transaction, I hereby crave your indulgence to co-operate with me
in this mutually beneficiary transaction. I am revealing this to you,
believing in God that you will never let me down in this business, you are
the first and the only person that I am contacting for this business, so
please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take.
Please while replying include your private telephone and fax numbers
including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit. Also
note that upon your reply, we may opt for telephone and fax communication,
as this channel may not be safe for the transaction. With my influence and
the position of the bank official we can transfer this money to any
foreigner?s reliable account that you can provide with assurance that this
money will be intact pending our physical arrival in your country for shari
ng. The bank official will destroy all documents of transaction
immediately we receive this money leaving no trace to any place.

As you receive this fund in your account. I will use my position and
influence to obtain legal approvals for I will apply for annual leave to get
visa immediately. At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 30%
of the total amount, 5% processing of the transfer,while the remaining 65%
will be my. Please if you are interested in this transaction, contact me
with these telephone and numbers above and I will give you the procedure of
the business.

I look forward to your earliest reply.

Yours sincerely,

DR. CALEB MARTINS

_________________________________________________________________
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