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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: "Dr. Sam Mazibuko" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <drsammazibuko@qq.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2013 14:11:04 -0700
Subject: My Sincere Greetings

FROM: Dr Sam Mazibuko
55 Rivonia Road Sandton Johannesburg South Africa
TEL: 27- 61 073 9801
Email : semazibuko@outlook.com
 
 
My Sincere Greetings,
 
TRANSFER OF (US$10.5 MILLION) TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS ONLY
We want to transfer to overseas US$10.5 Million from Investec Bank of South Africa. I want to ask you to privately look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new one to receive this money. A zero balance account can also serve to receive this money as long as you will remain honest to me till the end of this important business, trusting in you and believing in God that you will never let me down either now or in future.
 
 
I am Dr. Sam Mazibuko the head of internal Audit of Investec Bank of South Africa.  During the course of our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 2008 and since 2011 nobody has operated on this account. After going through some old files I discovered that the owner of the account died interstate, without an heir or Documented Will; hence the money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited to the government of South Africa. The owner of this account was a foreigner and an industrialist, who died since 2007  and no other person knows about this account or anything 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 of Diamond Safari (Pty) South Africa.
 
 
We want to transfer the sum US$10.5 million (Ten Million five hundred thousand US Dollars) into a safe foreigner’s account abroad, but I don’t know any foreigner, I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a local person here, but can only be approved to any foreigner with valid international passport or drivers license. The money is in US Dollars and the deceased account owner was a foreign national, so it makes sense to be approved for payment into a foreign account. Considering the recommendation I received in your favour by the South African Chamber of Commerce as regards your possible suitability in carrying out this transaction. I hereby crave your indulgence to co-operate with me in this mutually beneficial transaction. I am revealing this to you, believing in God that you will never let me down in this business, you are the first and the only person that I am contacting so please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next ! step to take.  Also note that
 
 
We shall discuss form and nature of your compensation which would be mutually agreed by us.
I look forward to your earliest response.
 
 
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Sam Mazibuko
 
 

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