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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.

 

 

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

Fraud email example:

From: mark_williams0012003@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 10:24:35 +0200
Subject: Greetings in Jesus Name Amen

FROM: PASTOR MARK WILLIAMS
11 KOTZE STREET,
JOHANNESBURG SOUTH AFRICA
TEL: +27 73 244 4249.

Dearest Beloved In Christ,

Greetings in Jesus Name Amen!

I am Pastor Mark Williams, the first son of Late Lufuno Williams. I am a citizen of
Swaziland. My father was the managing director of Lufuno Aluminium Company in
Swaziland but very unfortunately he died in the year 2004 after a protracted illness.
Due to poor management of the company in my country and for the fact that I am so
dedicated to church activities, I realized that I will be unable to manage the
company and so soon it may wind up .

I also realized that I am too young to manage a large company of that type and most
of the directors have already began to divert the net profit being generated from the
company, I therefore arranged with my father's lawyer and sold the entire company to
Mr. Alan Foster from Poland at the price of US$22,600,000 (Twenty Two million, Six
Hundred Thousand Dollars. Due to constant pressure from some of my relatives and also
fear of likely attack on my family to hijack the fund, I arranged with my mother to
transfer the fund into a security company in Johannesburg, South Africa where I am
currently staying with my mother and other two younger sisters.

However, I am into pastorial activities now and I have most of my time dedicated to
church activities. At the moment, we want to transfer the fund to oversea country
for investment because there is no good investment atmosphere here in South Africa.
I therefore need your assistance to enable me transfer the fund into your private/company
's account over there so that we can relocate to plan for the investment of the fund
through your personal assistance.

I mostly need your assistance in investing the fund because I have little experience
of investment /management of the fund. It is also my plan that after the successful
transfer of the fund into your account there, I will first relocate my mother and
other 2 sisters to stay with you while I will first travel to United States of
America to complete my theological school. What I mostly need from you is honest and
sincerity because this fund is my life and the life of my family.

If you can assist us in this transaction, I will give you 25% of the total,5% for
any expenses that might comes out in respect of this transaction .And while 70%
will remain in your account for 2 years to enable me complete my school and then
join my other relatives to plan for our family investments. Please, be assured that
this transaction is 100% risk free, but you must keep it confidential. Please
remember that you are not going to spend and penny or cent in this transaction,till
the bank here get my fund wire transfer into your account in Denmark.

If you can assist us, kindly call and send me an urgent email to indicate your
interest.
I await your soonest response.

Your in His Vineyard,

Pastor Mark Williams.

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