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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: "mail mail" <mail80@latinmail.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:43:39 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: HELLO


FROM: MRS. SUSAN SHABANGU.
DEPUTY MINISTER SAFETY AND SECURITY,
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA.

HELLO,=20

GREETINGS TO YOU, MY NAME IS MRS. SUSAN SHABANGU, A WIDOW,MOTHER OF THR=
EE AND FORMER DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINERALS AND ENERGY AND NOW DEPUTY MIN=
ISTER OF SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA FOR SEVEN =
YEARS RUNNING.

WHEN I WAS SWORN IN AS DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINERALS AND ENERGY IN 1996, =
WITH MY INFLUENCE, MY HUSBAND MR. NDELEBE SHABANGU, A VERY SUCCESSFUL B=
USINESSMAN WAS AWARDED SEVERAL CONTRACTS IN MY MINISTRY AND HAD DIRECT =
DEALINGS WITH FOREIGN INVESTORS IN THIS FIELD.=20

DUE TO MY POLITICAL STATUS,I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN MY HUSBAND'S BUSINESS =
WHICH WAS VERY VAST AND SUCCESSFUL. MY BELOVED HUSBAND DIED WHILST ON A=
BUSINESS TRIP TO TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO IN FEBRUARY 2001.AFTER HIS DEATH,=
I WAS CONTACTED TO COME FORWARD AND CLAIM A DEPOSIT HE HAS WITH THE UN=
ION BANK OF SWITZERLAND LONDON BRANCH.

AT THAT TIME, MY CHILDREN AND I DID NOT HAVE AN IDEA HE HAS ANY DEPSIT =
NEITHER DO WE HAVE ANY PAPERS FOR THE DEPOSIT.WE THEN INSTRUCTED THE BA=
NK TO CONTINUE HOLDING THE SAFETY DEPOSIT UNTIL FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FR=
OM ME.

WHILST PREPARING FOR THE FIFTH ANNIVASARY OF HIS DEATH, I WAS GOING THR=
OUGH HIS LIBRARY COLLECTION AND TO MY ASTONISHMENT I DISCOVERED THE PAP=
ERS FOR THE SAFETY DEPOSIT WITH THE BANK,AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING T=
O IT.

THE SAFETY DEPOSIT WHICH IS VALUED AT $18,500,000 WAS GENERATED FROM CA=
SH PAYMENTS FROM HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES IN THE DIAMOND TRADE FROM ANTW=
ERP, BELGIUM. THOUGH I KNEW MY LATE HUSBAND WAS IN THE DIAMOND BUSINESS=
, I DID NOT HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE THAT HE MOVED FUNDS IN CASH. THIS HAS CO=
ME AS A SHOCK TO ME AND MY CHILDREN, AND WE HAVE DECIDED TO HAVE THIS F=
UND INVESTED IMMEDIATELY IN REAL ESTATE AND HOSPITALITY PROPERTIES ABRO=
AD, AS NO MEMBER OF MY FAMILY CAN HOLD SUCH A HUGE AMOUNT IN OUR NAME D=
UE TO MY POLITICAL STATUS.

THIS IS WHY I AM CONTACTING YOU TO STAND AS MY NEXT OF KIN AND RECIEVE =
THIS MONEY FOR OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT.I HAVE CONTACTED OUR FAMILY ATTORNEY =
TO RUN THIS TRANSACTION ON OUR BEHALF AND I HAVE INFORMED HIM THAT I AM=
LOCATING ONE OF MY HUSBAND'S BUSINESS ASSOCIATES (YOU) TO HANDLE THE F=
UNDS AND INVEST ON OUR BEHALF, AS HE MIGHT BE OPPOSED TO OUR DECISION I=
F HE FOUND OUT THAT I BARELY KNOW YOU.

FOR YOUR RELIABLE ASSISTANCE, WE ARE OFFERING YOU 30 %($5,550,000) OF T=
HE FUNDS.ON HEARING FROM YOU, I WILL FORWARD YOUR CONTACT TO THE LAWYER=
WHO WILL BE REPRESENTING US, AND ALSO GIVE YOU HIS CONTACT FOR BOTH OF=
YOU TO COMMUNICATE AND PROCEED WITH THE TRANSACTION. HE WILL BE WORKIN=
G WITH YOU FOR A MUTUAL CONCLUSION OF THE PROCESS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO=
A LONG LASTING
BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.=20

AS YOU MAY UNDERSTAND, DUE TO MY SENSITIVE POSITION IN
THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT,IT IS NOT SAFE TO COMMUNICATE
WITH ME VIA PHONE OR FAX EXCEPT THROUGH EMAIL FOR
OBVIOUS SECURITY REASONS.

THANK YOU
SUSAN SHABANGU AND CHILDREN


La temporada de huracanes y el terremoto de Peru, a un click http://www=
starmedia.com/noticias/especiales/desastresnaturales.html

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