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

Fraud email example:

From: MARCUS BULINGA <mmarcusbolinga@netscape.net>
Reply-To: mmarcusbolinga@walla.com
Date: Mon, 01 May 2006 11:50:26 +0200
Subject: Re:response


Marcus Bulinga
Zambian Ministry Of Mines and Nat. Resource
Email,mmarcusbolinga@walla.com
A LEGITIMATE PARTNERSHIP REQUEST FOR FUNDS TRANSFER
I am interested in partnering with you in a business transaction. This business proposal I wish to intimate you of will be of mutual benefit to the both of us and its success is entirely based on mutual trust, cooperation and a high level of confidentiality.
I am representing the board of the contract award and monitoring committee of the Zambian Ministry of Mining and Resources. I am seeking your assistance to enable me transfer the sum of US$30,500,000.00 (Thirty Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) into your private/company account.
The fund came up 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 Bulgarian contractor at the cost of US$149,500,000.00 (One hundred and Forty-nine Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) to our advantage 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 Board 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$30,500,000.00 (Thirty Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) into your provided account.
On actualization, the fund will be disbursed as stated below.
1. 30% of the funds will be for you as beneficiary
2. 70% of the funds will be for us.
All logistics are in place and all modalities worked out for a smooth actualization 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. Please, call me on receipt of this mail on mmarcusbolinga@walla.com

Thank you and God bless as I await your urgent response.
Yours Sincerely,
Marcus Bulinga

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