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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: "Marskus Sibendi" <MarkusSibendi@universia.pt> (may be fake)
Reply-To: markusibendi@netscape.net
Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2005 13:15:14 +0200
Subject: FINANCIAL TRANSACTION

Mr Marskus Sibendi
Email: markusibendi@netscape.net
ATTN:Dear Sir
REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE IN A FINANCIAL TRANSACTION
I am interested in your partnership in business dealing. This business proposal I wish to intimate you with is of mutual benefit and its success is entirely based on mutual trust, cooperation and a high level of confidentiality as regard this transaction.
I am representing the board of contract review and monitoring committee of Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM). I am seeking your assistance to enable me transfer the sum of US$45,500,000.00 (Forty five Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) into your private/company account. The fund came about as a result of a contract awarded and executed for and on behalf of my Ministry. The contract was supposed to be awarded to two foreign contractors to the tune of US$180,000,000.00 (One hundred and Eighty Million United States Dollars). But in the course of negotiation, the contract was awarded to a Chinese contractor at the cost of US$134,500,000.00 (One hundred and Thirty four Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars)to my benefit unknown to the contractor. This contract has been satisfactorily executed and inspected as the Bulgarian firm is presently securing payment from my Ministry, where our Bo!
ard is in-charge of all foreign contract payment approval.
As a civil servant still in active government service, I am forbidden by law to operate an account outside the shores of Zambia. Hence this message to you seeking your assistance so as to enable me present your private/company account details as a beneficiary of contractual
claims alongside that of the Bulgarian contractor, to enable me transfer the difference of US$45,500,000.00 (Forty five Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) into your provided account.
On actualisation, the fund will be disbursed as stated below.
1. 20% of the fund will be for you as beneficiary
2. 80% of the fund will be for us.
All logistics are in place and all modalities worked out for a smooth actualisation of the transaction within the next few working days of commencement. For further details as to the workability of this transaction, please reach me as soon as possible for further
clarification.
Thank you and God bless as I await your urgent response.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Marskus Sibendi.



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