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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: "Engr.Alex Botha" <engralexbotha@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: alexbotha@sify.com
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 08:53:16 +0000
Subject: BUSINESS PROJECT
Engineer Alex Botha
PRETORIA
SOUTH AFRICA
Private Email:alexbotha@sify.com
FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION:
I am Engineer Alex Botha,a Native of Cape Town in South Africa
and I am an Engineer working with the South Africa Department of
Mining & Energy.
First and foremost I apologise for using this medium to reach you for
a transaction of this magnitude but this is due to confidentiality
and prompt access reposed on this medium.
Be informed that a member of the South Africa Export Promotion
Council (SEPC) who was part of my government delegation to your
country during a recent Trade Exhibition gave your enviable
credentials/particulars to me while assuring me on your competence
to handle a business transaction involving a large sum of money
with absolute confidentiality.
Therefore I have decided to seek a confidential co-operation
with you in the execution of the deal described hereunder for
the benefit of all parties and while hoping you will keep it
as top secret because of the nature of this transaction.
Within the Department of Mining & Energy where I work as a
Director and with the cooperation of three other top officials,
we have in our possession an overdue contract payment bills
totalling Sixteen Million,four Hundred Thousand united states
dollars(S$16,400,000.00).This money which we intend to process
its transfer as a form of contract payment into a reliable
company/individual account depending on your convenience.
Your assistance and co-operation is required due to the
circumstances surrounding our work as government officials
whereby the South Africa Civil Service Code of Conduct does not
allow us to operate an Offshore Bank account hence your
importance in the whole transaction.
Presently, this amount (US$16.4M) representing the balance of
the total contract value executed on behalf of my Department by
a foreign contracting firm which we the officials over-invoiced
deliberately is lying unclaimed in the government escrow bank
account with Reserve Bank of South Africa.We hereby seek your
assistance and co-operation that will enable us to process this
sum of money to you as a form of contract payment.
We have the necessary authority to validate and forward approvals
of outstanding contract claims to the government for final payment
on approval through the Reserve Bank of South Africa (RSBA).
All partners agreed while mandating me to propose that should
you be willing to assist us in the transaction, your share of the sum
will be 25% of the US$16.4 million,70% will be for us and 5% for
any expenses incurred in the course of this project including
telephone and fax bills.
The business itself is 100% safe on your part provided you treat
it with utmost secrecy and confidentiality.Also note that your area
of specialisation is not an hindrance to the successful execution
of this transaction.
I have reposed my confidence in you while awaiting your prompt
response through the email address above to notify me of your
capability to assist us in achieving success in this transaction.
Finally on your part,we will appreciate you treat this transaction as
a very confidential while we assure of a 100% risk free transaction
provided you follow our instruction totally.
I await your confirmation of my message while praying that this
will be the begining of a lifelong partnership between us.
Thank you for your co-operation.
Yours faithfully,
Engineer Alex Botha(J.P)
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