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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • mafani_ben_02@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • mafani_ben_02@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Ben Maluleke" <benmaluleke_07@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2006 00:26:57 +0200
Subject: CAPITAL INVESTMENT

>From the Desk of: ENGR. Ben Maluleke. B Sc (CTU) M. Sc,
Director, Project Implementation
CONFIDENTIAL TEL: +27- 83-3557-121
CONFIDENTIAL FAX: +27-11-5076-933
E-MAIL ADDRESS : mafani_ben_02@yahoo.com

PRIVATE
Dear sir/Madam,

I am Ben Maluleke, a Native of Cape Town in South Africa and I am an
Executive Accountant with the South Africa Department of Mining & Natural
Resources. First and foremost, I apologized using this medium to reach you
for a transaction/business 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
(SAEPC) who was at the Government delegation to your country during a trade
exhibition gave your enviable credentials/particulars to me. 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 hope you will keep it
as a top secret because of the nature of this transaction.

Within the Department of Mining & Natural Resources where I work as an
director and with the cooperation of four other top officials, we have in
our possession as overdue payment bills totaling Twenty-Seven Million, One
Hundred Thousand united states dollars (US$27,100,000.00) which we want to
transfer abroad with the assistance and co-operation of a foreign
company/individual to receive the said fund on our behalf into a reliable
company/individual account depending on your convenience.
More so, we are handicapped in the circumstances, as the South Africa Civil
Service Code of Conduct does not allow us to operate offshore account hence
your importance the whole transaction. This amount (US$27.1m) represents 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.
Though the actual contract cost have been paid to the original
contractor,leaving the balance in the tune of the said amount which we have
in principles gotten approval to remit by Key Tested Telegraphic Transfer
(K.T.T) to any foreign bank account you will provide by filing in an
application through the Justice Ministry here in South Africa for the
transfer of rights and privileges of the former contractor to you.

I have the authority of my partners involved to propose that should you be
willing to assist us in the transaction, your share of the sum will be 30%
of the US$27.1 million, 60% for us and 10% for taxation and miscellaneous
expenses. The business itself is 100% safe, on your part provided you treat
it with utmost secrecy and confidentiality. Also your area of specialization
is not a hindrance to the successful execution of this transaction.

I have reposed my confidence in you and hope that you will not disappoint
me. Endeavor to contact me immediately through my secured tel/fax number
whether or not you are interested in this deal. If you are not, it will
enable me contact other foreign partner with recommendation to carry out
this deal. I want to assure you that myself and my partners are in a
position to make the payment of this claim possible provided you can give us
a very strong assurance and guarantee that our share will be secured and
Please remember to treat this matter as very confidential matter
because we will not comprehend with any form of exposure as we are still in
active Government Service and remember once again that time is of the
essence in this business.

Kindly establish your response directly by telephone:+27-
83-3557-121,fax:+27-11-5076-933 or e-mail: mafani_ben_02@yahoo.com, to the
committee's representative whose name appears below. We wait in anticipation
of your fullest co-operation.

Yours faithfully,
Ben Maluleke (ENGR.)

DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS AND ENERGY
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam