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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: "From John Malopo" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <johnmalopo1@gmail.co.za>
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2014 06:59:41 -0800
Subject: From John Malopo (Can we work together?)

Greetings from South Africa
 
My name is Mr. John Malopo I am a South African and Chief Executive Officer of a security firm, name with held for security reasons but shall convey details to you in due course. We offer short term Loans which are tailored to meet important financial needs, such as agricultural production circle in Africa.
 
I am contacting you in strict confidence, believing I can trust you to handle this business transaction with me. There are some hidden funds to the tune of Sixty Two Million United States Dollars ($62,000,000.00), kept in the custody of our firm by one of former associate of the late President of Libya (Colonel Muammar Gaddafi) who is now deceased.
 
The fund was deposited as an investment fund in 2009 with an open beneficiary. The fund has been in our firm without anybody coming for the claims since the demise of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and all our efforts to trace any of the families has yielded fruitless results. This is the reason why I have decided to contact you, so we can secretly move these funds abroad. Note that the government of Libya and our government do not know anything about this deposit and my contact to you. Hence, I cannot declare this piece of information to the government for security reasons.
 
I have all the necessary documents that can make you the next of kin and recipient of the funds, as I am directly involved in the deposits. All I need to do is to make you the beneficiary of the fund by filling your name in the appropriate documents and immediately move the funds out of its present place in your name to your account for safe keeping. The funds will be used for investment purposes in your country or any other country of our choice.
 
I assure you that this transaction is risk free. Be rest assured that we will not encounter any difficulty as the person directly involved in approving the release of the fund is also participating in this transaction?
 
This transaction is Legal and we propose to offer 30% of the total sum once the fund is transferred to your Account.
 
You can contact me through my private tele/fax +27 86 517 6926 or email to reconfirm your full names, contact address, telephone /fax numbers to my personal email at :johnmalopo@gmail.co.za 
 
Please keep my affairs with you strictly confidential and let me know if you will be of any assistance.
 
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. John Malopo
johnmalopo@gmail.co.za
 
For more information, please, visit: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/06/03/libya-loot-south-african-banks-may-hold-1b-in-gold-diamonds-stolen-by-qaddafy/

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