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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: "MR. JERRY PETER" <jerrypeterz@myway.com> (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 19 May 2007 15:15:39 +0400
Subject: BUSINESS PROPOSAL

Dearest,
SOLICITING FOR YOUR PERSUASIVE ASSISTANCE FROM A WIDOW
It gives me a great pleasure to contact you, and I do hope this letter will
not come to you as a surprise. I am . Jerr Peter son of a
farmer in Zimbabwe who was recently murdered in the land dispute in my
country. I got your contact through network online hence decided to write
you. Before the death of my husband, he had taken me and my son to
Johannesburg to deposit the sum of US$10.5 million (Ten million, Five
Hundred thousand United States dollars), in one of the private security
company, as he foresaw the looming danger in Zimbabwe. This money was
deposited in a box as gem stones to avoid much demurrage from the security
company. This amount was meant for the purchase of new machines and
chemicals for the Farms and establishment of new farms in Swaziland.
This land problem came when Zimbabwean President Mr. Robert Mugabe
introduced a new Land Act Reform wholly affecting the rich white farmers and
some few black farmers, and this resulted to the killing and mob action by
Zimbabwean war veterans and some lunatics in the society. In fact a lot of
people were killed because of this Land reform Act for which my husband was
one of the victims. It is against this background that, I and my family fled
Zimbabwe for fear of our lives and are currently staying in South Africa,
where we are seeking political asylum and moreso have decided to transfer my
husband’s money to a more reliable foreign account.
For partnership purpose, and for the sake of humanity, we decided to contact
you in confidence to inform you that we have in our possession all
substantiality of the deposit made by my late husband which were funds that
were in one’s heart moved out of Zimbabwe to South Africa. This fund
involves a total cash sum of US$10.5M, which were hidden and packaged in one
big Metal Box, presently kept with a Diplomatic Security Deposit Company in
South Africa, as a family treasures. In regards to this, you are to forward
your private telephone and fax number to enable my son communicate with you,
so as to arrange the mode of the transfer from South Africa to your country.
For security reasons all communications regarding to this business should be
strictly by fax and telephone. Secondly, We have agreed to offer you 25% of
the total sum for your immense assistance to us, while you will hold 75% on
trust for us as we would like to invest our share in your country in a good
business and also invest in charity. Please you are required to treat this
letter as highly confidential as no other person knows about this money
except me, my Mother ( Mthar Peter), your very self and Mr. Mandela Jr., our
lawyer in South Africa. Looking forward to hearing from you via Email. jerrrpeterz@myway.com
God bless you as you help a widow in need of help.
Yours sincerely,
MR. Jerry Peter(UNBEHALF OF PETER’S FAMILY)


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