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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: CLIFF HILL <clffhill012@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2012 10:05:47 +0200
Subject: I NEED YOUR REPLY

>From Mr. Cyril Ziman (Senior Staff)
E-mail: cyrilziman@webmail.co.za
Date : 12 /10/2012
75 BENMORE ROAD SANDTON.
South Africa Johannesburg


Managing Director Sir/Mama



STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

Compliment of the day, May I have the pleasure of introducing myself?
I am Mr. Peter Wilfred a senior staff and chairman of Tender Board
Committee on the award of contracts in Department of Works and Housing
here in South Africa. I got your contact E-mail address through the
South Africa Chambers Of commerce to find a trustworthy person on whom
I can repose confidence for colossal international money transaction.

My aim of sending this "business proposal" to you is to solicit for
your assistance and co-operation to transfer some huge amount of fund
into your account overseas. Therefore, this communication should be
held in high confidence.

My colleague and I in the Department of Works & Housing wish to
transfer into a safe and secured account overseas, the sum of US$6.1M
(Six Million One Hundred Thousand US Dollars which is over-invoiced
amount from contracts we awarded to foreign contractors who have been
duly paid on completion of their various contracts. This money right
now is in a coded account in the Reserve Bank of South Africa.

However, by virtue of our position as civil servants, we cannot
acquire these funds in our names or in the names of companies here in
South Africa. I therefore asked by my colleague on trust and sincerity
to look for a reliable international outfit partner abroad into whose
account the sum of US$6.1M (Six Million One Hundred Thousand US
Dollars would be transferred. We have agreed on the following sharing
ratio if you accept our proposal.

Sixty percent (60%) for us and thirty percent (30%) for you, the
Account owner (5%) will be for expenses both parties Might have
incurred during the process of the transferring, and (5%) will be
preserved for helping the helpless people, like charity organization
and motherless babies.

My choice of you for this transaction is basically hanged on your
field and profession, hence this business proposal. If you are
interested in this deal, I will require some information’s from you in
order to affect the transfer of the money. Please, be informed that we
shall commence processing of claims of payment once we receive your
interest from you, and the funds will get into your account within
Five (5) working days by Telegraphic Transfer (T.T).

Note that this transaction is 100% risk free. Do acknowledge the
receipt of this letter by indicating your interest in the transaction
and also including your direct contact details such as your telephone
and fax numbers for easy communication or call me on the above numbers
as reconfirmed


Best Regards

Mr. Cyril Ziman

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