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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Fraud email example:

From: patmasinga@webmail.co.za
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 2004 07:06:40 +0200
Subject: REQUEST FOR CO-OPERATION

FROM: MR. PATRICK MASINGA.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA.
FAX: 27 732 742 076, TEL: 27 835 639 932

SIR,

REQUEST FOR HUMBLE ASSISTANCE.

THIS LETTER IS MEANT TO CONTACT YOU FOLLOWING KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR ESTEEMED
SELF TO HELP US OUT OF THIS DIFFICULT SITUATION THAT MY FAMILY HAS BEEN
ENGULFED IN SINCE THE DEATH OF MY FATHER AND THE BREADWINNER OF OUR FAMILY
WHO WAS RECENTLY MURDERED IN THE LAND DISPUTE IN ZIMBABWE. SO PLEASE,
CONSIDER THIS AS A REQUEST FROM A FAMILY IN DIRE NEED OF ASSISTANCE.

I AM PATRICK MASINGA FROM ZIMBABWE, THE FIRST AND THE ONLY SON OF LATE DR.
SAMUEL MASINGA COMMUNICATING TO YOU FROM JOHANNESBURG, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH
AFRICA. I, ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY DECIDED TO SOLICIT FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO
TRANSFER THE SUM OF US$20.5MILLOIN (TWENTY MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND
UNITED STATE DOLLARS) INHERITED FROM MY LATE FATHER INTO YOUR COMPANY OR
PRIVATE BANK ACCOUNT.

BEFORE HIS DEATH, MY FATHER ON ONE OF HIS MANY TRIPS ABROAD TOOK ME TO
JOHANNESBURG TO DEPOSIT THE SUM OF US$20.5 MILLION (TWENTY MILLION, FIVE
HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) WITH A PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANY AS
IF HE FORESAW THE LOOMING DANGER IN ZIMBABWE. THE MONEY WAS DEPOSITED WITH
THE SECURITY COMPANY ON OUR ARRIVAL IN JOHANNESBURG LARGELY FOR ITS SAFETY.
THE SOURCE OF THIS MONEY WAS FOR PURCHASE OF AGRO ALLIED FARM EQUIPMENT FOR
THE GOVERNMENT. THIS LAND PROBLEM AROSE WHEN PRESIDENT MUGABE WHO ACCORDING
TO MY LATE FATHER, IN A DESPERATE BID TO HOLD ON TO POWER FOR LIFE
INTRODUCED A NEW LAND ACT, WHICH WHOLLY AFFECTED THE RICH FARMERS WHO WERE
MOSTLY WHITE AND SOME BLACKS VEHEMENTLY CONDEMNED THE METHOD ADOPTED BY THE
GOVERNMENT. AND THAT RESULTED IN RAMPANT KILLINGS, LOOTING AND WIDE SCALE
MOB ACTIONS BY THE VETERANS AND SOME POLITICAL THUGS. UNFORTUNATELY, MY LATE
FATHER WAS AMONG THE FEW BLACK ZIMBABWEAN RICH FARMERS MURDERED IN! COLD
BLOOD BY THE AGENTS OF THE RULING GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE, FOR
HIS ALLEGED OPPOSITION AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT'S NEW LAND ACT. HEADS OF
GOVERNMENT FROM THE WESTERN WORLD, ESPECIALLY BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA HAVE VOICED THEIR CONDEMNATION AGAINST MUGABE'S ACTIONS.

AS IT STANDS NOW, I AM THE ONLY PERSON THAT HAS ACCESS TO THE MONEY AND THE
NECESSARY DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR ITS COLLECTION. FROM THE ABOVE, YOU WILL
UNDERSTAND THAT THE LIVES AND FUTURE OF MY FAMILY DEPEND ON THIS FUND AS
SUCH I WILL BE GRATEFUL IF YOU CAN ASSIST US. WE ARE NOW LIVING IN SOUTH
AFRICAN AS POLITICAL ASYLUM SEEKERS AND THE FINANCIAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS
OF SOUTH AFRICA DO NOT PERMIT US CERTAIN FINANCIAL RIGHTS. IN VIEW OF THIS,
I CANNOT INVEST THIS MONEY IN SOUTH AFRICA HENCE MY ASKING YOU TO ASSIST ME
TO TRANSFER IT OUT OF SOUTH AFRICA FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES IN YOUR COUNTRY.

FOR YOUR EFFORTS, WE ARE PREPARED TO OFFER YOU 20% OF THE TOTAL SUM WHILE
10% WILL! BE SET ASIDE FOR EXPENSES INCURRED DURING THE COURSE OF THIS
TRANSACTION AND THE REMAINING 70% FOR THE FAMILY'S INVESTMENT ABROAD. PLEASE
NOTE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS RISK-FREE AND THE MAJOR THING I ASK OF YOU IS
TO ASSURE ME THE SAFETY OF THE MONEY WHEN TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT.
FURTHER INFORMATION AND ARRANGEMENT WILL COMMENCE AS SOON AS TRUST,
CONFIDENCE AND GOOD RELATIONSHIP IS ESTABLISHED. I SHALL BE MOST GRATEFUL IF
YOU MAINTAIN THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THIS MATTER.

THANK YOU AS I AWAIT YOUR URGENT RESPONSE VIA THE TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBER ABOVE
FOR MORE DETAILS AND DON'T FORGET TO KEEP EVERY INFORMATION REGARDING THIS
AS HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL.

BEST REGARDS,

MR. PATRICK MASINGA

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam