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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: Johnson Thomas <jontha24@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <johnthom2000@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2007 16:17:01 +0000
Subject: From Johnson Thomas




3/5 RIDER HAGGARD CLOSE, JO, BORTO: SOUTH AFRICA. ATTENTION: (RE: TRANSFER OF ($ 126,000.000.00 USD} ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX MILLION DOLLAR I am contacting you in view of the fact we will be of Great assistance to each other, like developing a cordial business relationship. I am Mr. Johnson Thomas. the Auditor General of one of the prime banks here South Africa, during the course of our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1995 and since 1998 nobody has operated on this account again, after going through some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a [heir] hence the money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account is Mr. Allan P. Seaman, a foreigner, and an industrialist, and he died, since 1996. and no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that Allan P.Seaman until his death was the manager Diamond Safari [pty]. S.A. We will start the first transfer with twenty six million [$26,000.000] upon successful transaction without any disappoint from your side, we shall re-apply for the payment of the remaining rest amount to your account. The amount involved is (USD 126 M) One hundred and twenty six million United States Dollars only. I want to first transfer $26,000.000 [Twenty six million United States Dollar] from this money into a safe foreigners account abroad before the rest, but I don't know any foreigner,I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved to a local person here, without valid international foreign passport, but can only be approved to any foreigner with valid international passport or drivers license and foreign a/c because the money is in US dollars and the former owner of the a/c Mr. Allan P. Seaman is a foreigner too,and the money can only be approved into a foreign a/c. However, we will sign a binding agreement, to bind us together. I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let me down in this business. Send also your private telephone and fax number including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit. I want us to meet face to face to build confidence and to sign a binding agreement that will bind us together before transferring the money to any account of your choice where the fund will be safe. Before we fly to your country for withdrawal, sharing and investments.I need your full co-operation to make this work fine, Because the management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct information of this account, which I will give to you,upon your positive response and once I am convinced that you are capable and will meet up with instruction of a key bank official who is deeply involved with me in this business. I need your strong assurance that you will never,never let me down.With my influence and the position of the bank official we can transfer this money to any foreigner's reliable account which you can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending our physical arrival in your country for sharing. The bank official will destroy all documents of transaction immediately we receive this money leaving no trace to any place and to build confidence you can come immediately to discuss with me face to face after which I will make this remittance in your presence and three of us will fly to your country at least two days ahead of the money going into the account. I will apply for annual leave to get visa immediately I hear from you that you are ready to act and receive this fund in your account. I will use my position and influence to obtain all legal approvals for onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance from the relevant ministries and foreign exchange departments. At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 30% of the total amount, 60% will be for me, while 8% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during the process of transferring, while 2% for charity, as a mark of God's gratitude for the blessing. If you are interested in this transaction, please do reply immediately so that we can proceed.
I look forward to your earliest reply
Please reply to my private email: johnthom2000@yahoo.comBest Regards, Mr. Johnson Thomas
From Johnson Thomas
_________________________________________________________________
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