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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "Isaac Mosola" <ymc101@msn.com>
Reply-To: isaacmosola@pnetmail.co.za
Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2005 08:57:22 +0000
Subject: Strictly Confidential.

Engr.Isaac Mosola
Pretoria
South Africa

FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION:

I am Isaac Mosola,a Native of Cape Town in South Africa
and 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 I am making this contact with you based on
reliable information available to us, courtesy of the
internet business index and confirmed locally by our chamber of
commerce.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 private because of the nature of this
transaction.

Within the Department of Mining & Energy where I work as a
Director and with the co-operation of three other top
officials,we have in our possession an overdue contract
payment bills totalling Sixteen Million,Four Hundred Thousand
United States Dollars(US$16,400,000.00).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$16.4M) 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 (R.S.B.A).

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 25% of the US$16.4 million,70% 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 private email address above
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 very confidential while we assure you of
a 100% risk free transaction provided you follow our
instructions 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.Isaac Mosola


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