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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: "Vincent Zulu" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <vincentzuluesq@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2015 01:19:04 +0300
Subject: My second email to you (From Mr. Vincent Zulu)

Sir/Ma.
 
I know we do not know each other but please I need your urgent assistance regarding the below email. The message was sent to my client who unfortunately died last year. From all indications and from what the letter says, these people now want to divert my client’s funds to another account in Canada who is their partner and I will not let that happen. I suffered with my client over this inheritance of his younger brother who died in South Africa leaving this huge amount in the bank. Now the money has finally been approved to my client who already died last year at 84 years.
 
I have details to transfer this to your name as the Next of Kin to my client since you are not from South Africa and the funds will be paidout to you for us to share 60% for me and 40% for you instead of letting these criminals have this money. I have the details of my client to change everything to your name and the bank will transfer the funds to your account within the next 48 hours as they said here.
 
 
I need your help urgently else I will lose this money to them. I have been told by the Bank holding this money that I am the only person as the lawyer to the deceased to nominate who becomes the Next of Kin to my late client and who ever I present to them will be approved.
 
Below is the letter they sent to my client which copy was sent to me as his lawyer here in South Africa. Please get back to me immediately if you can be trusted to receive this money for me pending when I will arrive. My client and wife died with no children.
 
Please email me back if you can assist me to receive this money. Email me  with your Full name, address and contact telephone.
 
Regards,
Vincent Zulu (Attorney)
Lawyers House Chambers,
Pretoria South Africa
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Mr. Abel Ubeku
Fund Transfer Monitoring Team
IMF Liaison Office, Pretoria
South Africa
 
Attn: Douglas Pettman.
Barnet, Herts.  EN4 9JX. United Kingdom.
 
Sir,
.
 
This is to officially notify you that your delayed Inheritance payment has finally been approved to be paid to you within the next 48 hours.
This instruction came to our office to contact you immediately for the transfer of your approved amount to your designated bank account without any further delay. We have finally approved you as the final beneficiary and need you to get back to us immediately for onward transfer of funds.
 
Just few hours ago, a man by name Mr. Tim Mallett contacted our office informing us that you have given him instruction and authority to receive the approved US$27,900,000.00 (Twenty Seven Million Nine Hundred Thousand US Dollars) only on your behalf. According to him, he said that you asked him to represent you in receiving this amount. He also forwarded an account where your funds should be transferred to immediately.
 
Here is the information he forwarded to us for your own confirmation:
 
Tim Mallett
G&T Volunteers
370 Lacroix Street Chatham,
Ontario Canada N7M 2W3
TD Canada Trust
255 King Street at 3rd Chatham,
Ontario Canada N7M 1E6
Account# 0011-6243094
Transit & Branch # 060-00112-004
 
 
 
We want you to confirm to us immediately if you at any time instructed the above person to receive this amount on your behalf and if no, you are requested to immediately get back to us reconfirming your details including your current telephone numbers. We shall immediately begin the process of re-approving this $27,900,000.00 into your name as the beneficiary and final recipient to enable the paying bank contact you for onward transfer to your nominated account.
 
Upon receipt of your confirmation, we shall immediately process your payment documents and forward it to our approved paying Bank to carry  ut your transfer within the next 48 hours after processing. If you sent this man, do reconfirm also to enable us proceed with the payment into the above stated account without any further delay.
 
We will appreciate your urgent response and confirmation as this office has been given until two weeks to carry out all approved payments or return them as unclaimed funds. Note that the earlier you respond to this message, the better as all modalities have been put in place for immediate payment of the above sum.
 
Thanking you for letting us serve you better.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
Mr. Abel Ubeku
Fund Transfer Monitoring Team
IMF Liaison Office, Pretoria
South Africa

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