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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: "Ali John" <ali_john11@msn.com>
Reply-To: info_ali_john@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2005 21:49:36 +0000
Subject: INVESTMENT REQUEST


FROM: Mr.ALI JOHN
DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS AND ENERGY
PRETORIA,
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
TEL ;
FAX;
E-MAIL;info_ali_john@hotmail.com

INVESTMENT REQUEST
Dear Sir,
my pleasure to write to you this letter
on behalf of my colleagues, which I believe will be a big surprise
as we are both complete strangers, I work for the ministry of Minerals
and Energy in South Africa, but presently in england
on an official program for a period of 30 days. By this letter,
I am representing and also acting on behalf of my boss and two other
senior colleagues whose mandate I have to contact a trusted and
reliable foreign based businessman during this period of my stay
in england concerning a business matter of mutual benefit to all.

By this mandate given to me, we are in dire need of a foreign partner
to assist us in the transfer/investment of USD30, 000,000.00(Thirty
million United state Dollars) the key issue are the transfer and
the subsequent investment of the said sum. We are ready to go into
an agreement with you and also offer you negotiable fee for the
assistance and putting together and investment portfolio for us.

Within the Department of Minerals and Energy where I work as a Director
of Audit and Project Implementation, with the co-operation of three
of my senor colleagues, we have in our possession an overdue payment
of 30 million. This said fund represent certain percentage of the
contract value executed on behalf of my Department by a foreign
contracting firm, which we the officials over-invoiced to the amount
of US$30,000,000.00(Thirty million United States Dollars). Though
the actual contract sum have been paid to the original contractors,
leaving the excess balance unclaimed.

Since the present elected Government is determined to pay foreign
Contractor all debts owed, so as to maintain good relationship with
foreign Government and non-government agencies, we included our
bills for approvals with the Department of Finance and the Reserve
Bank of South Africa (RBSA). We are seeking your assistance to front
as the beneficiary of the unclaimed Funds, since we are not allowed
to operate foreign accounts. Details and change of beneficiary information
upon your application for claim to reflect payment and approvals
will be secured on behalf of you/your Company.

This business is completely safe and secure, provided you treat
it with utmost confidentiality it does not matter whether or not
you own a company or you invested funds before, we shall guide you
on what to do as this is a common practice in my country. The bases
will be that a major company won a contract from my ministry and
subcontracted it to you. More often, big trading companies and firms
of unrelated fields win contracts and subcontracts to more specialized
firms for execution.


We shall follow strictly all the legal procedures entailed in our
laws and the international laws in transferring the funds to make
it legitimate and authoritative.

Upon your acceptance of this proposal I shall provide for you my
private telephone number through which you can reach me for verbal
discussion on the details, otherwise kindly disregard this email
and delete from your box immediately.
Thank you and God Bless

Best Regards
Mr. ALI JOHN


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