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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: markus owen <markusowen2001@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2006 04:00:43 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: From Markus Owen. South Africa.


Mr. VICTIMNAME, I wish to let you know that I am presenting vividly the comprehensive background information concerning this transaction so that you will appraise yourself of certain privileged facts and truths. This explanation will give you the clearer picture of the business. If you have problems in Cote d’Ivoire please I do not know about it, I am a South African and I am very ready to prove that I do know concerning what happen to you in that part of Africa. If you know about South Africa, you will understand what happened in past years. So have the clear picture of the business and decide if you will join me to pull the deal or not. To be very frank with you, I am not desperate with whom to do this business with. It is what I know that will benefit any person that get involved, hence I will prove my genuineness by being very transparent in the process.
During the obnoxious apartheid era, a lot of evil atrocities ever nurtured, created, perpetuated and internalized by man in the modern world were systematically directed against the black community by the minority whites. However, only those directly involved in this era or at least were witnesses to these gross human abuse to a fellow man would understand exactly what I am talking about. Though the blacks are now in power obtained at an enormous loss of life, property and human dignity, it is still very obvious that the gaping hole between the white and black as it relates to all ramifications of life in modern South Africa will perhaps take many decades or generations to bring closer. Therefore, the idea of a new South Africa is still a mirage and an euphoria to the majority of the older citizens who fought the actual war of freedom. But freedom in the actual sense of the word is entirely free . Yes it may be true that the black South Africans are longer suffering
under weight of apartheid laws, however they are still very much bound in their minds and spirits. This is because they have suddenly come to the realization that it is very difficult for a black man to survive on a daily basis in much acclaimed free and democratic South Africa.
These crumbs emanated as an aftermath and as well as a fall out from the fears generated in the white community as it became very apparent that they were going to lose power to the blacks. That was in the early 90s which culminated in the unconditional release from prison of Dr. Nelson Mandela in February 1990. At that time the whites became very agitated, worried and confused as to what would be the outcome of their huge assets, properties, monies and other invisible wealth and investments amassed fraudulently during the apartheid regime. In this state of economic confusion, a great majority of them began to dispose or exchange for quick cash some of these visible and invisible investments and begin to emigrate to safe heaven overseas. Their preferred choice of destination include Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, America, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Holland and some other countries.
However, some of them who had already made some substantial offshore investments began to abandon them in a hurry while others simply died of numerous causes leaving little or no clue of how this investments will be managed or their next of kin. These activities however produced another era of free flowing money which necessitated the new majority Government to promulgate into law the Black Economic Empowerment Act of 1996. The purpose of this law is to enable the black elites to trace and track down these idle funds and at the same time provide ideas and advice on how these funds would be used to improve the living conditions of the blacks. The Black Economic Empowerment Group, an offshoot of this law comprising former politicians, business moguls, captains of industries and commerce and as well as high ranking military personnel began to accumulate these idle funds for themselves instead of reinvesting them into the economy in a way that the marginalized and poverty
stricken black community would benefit. Today the BEE Group as they are called has only succeeded in transforming herself into a political behemoth and an economic power horse with tentacles spread across all the facets of South African economy and Government. The existing gap between the social and living standard of the whites and blacks are still present as it was in the apartheid era.
So the game plan is this. It happens that some educated black elites who by divine providence occupy some important positions in certain Government institutions begin to maximize these positions by trying to enrich themselves with opportunity like this. Hence depending on the position and political connection of the persons involved, these idle funds are carefully transferred out of the country whenever they are discovered by soliciting for the assistance and services of a trusted and willing foreign partner who will simply present himself or herself to claim ownership of the fund. This is exactly what you have done.
This is a once in a life time opportunity for any body who happens to come across it. May the Almighty God help us all the way. I would want to have your telephone number to explain more to you. Mine is +27 83 530 8474. Please let me know if you have the capacity to come here to assist me to make the claim. I am in the process of the arrangements and will require to know interest so that we can both structure how to pull and transfer the fund out from South Africa.
Be of good sheer and accept my warmest regards
God bless you and your family abundantly.
Keep the faith and bye for now.
Your sincerely.
Markus Owen.

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