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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.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "ben omoefeg" <benomoefeg@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 01:14:48 +0000
Subject: South Africa

CORPORATE TEL NO: 011-27-732-712624
DIRECT TEL NO: 011-871-762921675
DIRECT FAX NO: 011-871-762921676
DIRECT E-MAIL: benmosheo_2@yahoo.co.uk
20/10/2005
STRICTLY
CONFIDENTIAL & URGENT

Sir/Ma

I am Dr. Ben Mosheo a native of Cape Town in South Africa and I am a
Director of Project Implementation with the South Africa Department of
Minerals and Energy. First and foremost, I apologize using this medium to
reach you for a transaction/business of this magnitude, but this is due to
confidential and prompt access reposed on this medium. Be informed that a
member of the South Africa Export Promotion Council (SAEPC) who was at the
Government delegation to your country during a trade exhibition gave your
enviable credentials/particulars to me. I have decided to seek a
confidential co-operation with you in the execution of the deal described
below for the benefit of all parties and hope you will keep it as a top
secret because of the nature of this transaction.

Within the Department of Minerals and Energy where I work as a Director and
with the cooperation of four other top officials, we have in our possession
as overdue payment bills totaling Fourteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand
U.S. Dollars ($14,500,000.00) which we want to transfer abroad with the
assistance and cooperation of a foreign company/individual to receive the
said fund on our behalf or a reliable foreign non-company account to receive
such funds. More so, we are handicapped in the circumstances, as the South
Africa Civil Service Code of Conduct does not allow us to operate offshore
account hence your importance in the whole transaction.

This amount $14.5m represents 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. Though the actual contract cost
have been paid to the original contractor, leaving the balance in the Tune
of the said amount which we have in principles gotten approval to remit by
Key tested Telegraphic Transfer (K.T.T.) to any foreign bank account you
will provide by filling in an application through the Justice Ministry here
in South Africa for the transfer of rights and privileges of the former
contractor to you.

I have the authority of my partners involved to propose that should you be
willing to assist us in the transaction, your share of the sum will be 25%
of the $14.5million, 65% for us and 10% for taxation and miscellaneous
expenses. The business itself is 100% safe, on your part provided you treat
it with utmost secrecy and confidentiality. Also your area of specialization
is not a hindrance to the successful execution of this transaction. I have
reposed my confidence in you and hope that you will not disappoint me.
Endeavor to contact me immediately through my direct Tel/Fax numbers above
whether or not you are interested in the deal. If you are not, it will
enable me scout for another foreign partner to carry out this deal. I want
to assure you that my partners and myself are in a position to make the
payment of this claim possible provided you can give us a very strong
Assurance and guarantee that our share will be secured and please remember
to treat this matter as very confidential matter, because we will not
comprehend with any form of exposure as we are still in active Government
Service and remember once again that time is of the essence in this
business.

I wait in anticipation of your fullest co-operation.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Ben Mosheo


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