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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: "paul maku" <pl_maku_111@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 10:05:46 +0200
Subject: URGENT FUND TRANSFER ASSISTANCE

FROM:MR PAUL MAKU
#213 HOUGHTON DRIVE
JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA




URGENT FUND TRANSFER ASSISTANCE
ATTN:Director,

You may be surprised to receive this letter since you do not know me
personally, but for the purpose of introduction, I am MR.PAUL MAKU, the son
of DR GEORGE MAKU,who was recently murdered in the land dispute in Zimbabwe.
I got your contact through the South African Information Exchange (S.A.I.E)
here in South Africa and I decided to write for assistance. My late father
was among the few black Zimbabwean rich farmers murdered in cold blood by
agents of the ruling government of president Robert Mugabe for his alleged
support and sympathy for the Zimbabwean opposition part controlled by the
whites. Before his death, he had taken me to Johannesburg to deposit the sum
of US$20.5 Million Dollars(TWENTYMILLIONFIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE
DOLLARS) with a security and finance company as if he foresaw the looming
danger in Zimbabwe.
The money was deposited in a box as a consignment with Security Company to
avoid seizure. This money was earmarked for the purchase of machineries and
chemicals for the farms and the establishment of new farm in Lesotho and
Swaziland The land problem arose when president Robert Mugabe introduced a
new land Act that wholly affect the rich farmers. Some few blacks vehemently
condemned the modusoperandi adopted by the government that resulted to
rampantkilling and mob actions by the war veterans and some political
thought, precisely; hundreds of people had been killed. Heads of government
from the western world especially the British and the United states of
America have voiced their condemnation of Mugabe’splans. Susequently the
Southern African Development Community (S.A.D.C) has continuously supported
Mugabe’s new land reforms Acts. Itis against this back ground that I and my
family who are currently staying in South Africa have decided to transfer
this money out of South Africa into a foreign bank account.
As the eldest son of my father, I am saddled with the responsibility of
seeking a genuine foreign bank account where this money could be transferred
with out the knowledgeof my government who has tactically frozen my family’s
wealth and the South African governments seems to be playing along with
them. I am faced with the dilemma of investing this amount of money in South
Africa for the fear of seizure and encountering the same experience in
future since bothcountries have almost the same political history. Moreso
the South African foreign policy does not allow such investment since I am
an asylum seeker. As a businessman whom I must entrust my future and that of
my family in his hands, I must let you know that this transaction is 100%
risk free. There fore, if you accept to assist my family and myself, we
are willing to offer you 25% of the total sum for your assistance,70% will
be for me and my family while 5% will be used for all expenses. If this
proposal is accepted by you, please do reply by email .The confidentiality
of this transaction cannot be Over emphasized.
Best Regards
Paul Maku.

_________________________________________________________________
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