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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: tzambezi10@pnetmail.co.za
Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2005 01:01:26 +0000
Subject: Partnership Proposal

Engr.Tamono Zambezi
Pretoria
South Africa
Private Email:tzambezi102@pnetmail.co.za


FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION:

I am Engineer Tamono Zambezi,a Native of Cape Town in South Africa and I am 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 Fourteen Million,four Hundred Thousand united states
dollars(S$14,400,000.00).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$14.4M) 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 (SARB).

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 30% of the US$14.4 million,65% 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 email address above or through my
private email:tzambezi101@pnetmail.co.za 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 of a 100% risk
free transaction provided you follow our instruction 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,

Engr.Tamono Zambezi

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