419 scam: South Africa <mrs.rzandson012@msn.com> CONFIDENTIAL LETTER FROM MRS.REGINA ZONKI & SON.

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "demurrage " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "the consignment" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "consignment " (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "into your nominated bank account" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "foreign exchange" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "robert mugabe" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +27839515636 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- mrs.reginazonki@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: South Africa <mrs.rzandson012@msn.com>
Reply-To: <mrs.reginazonki@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:39:26 +0000
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL LETTER FROM MRS.REGINA ZONKI & SON.

FROM: MRS. REGINA ZONKI
ADDRESS: N0: 5 WILLOW VIEW DRIVE, NORTH CLIFF,
JOHANNESBURG SOUTH AFRICA
Telephone: + 27 83 951 5636
Fax: + 27 86 518 9338
E-MAIL: (mrs.reginazonki@gmail.com)

CONFIDENTIAL LETTER FROM MRS.REGINA ZONKI & SON.

Attn: Sir / Madam ,

You may be surprised to receive this letter from me since you do not know me. I am Mrs. Regina Zonki, the wife of late Dr. Peter Zonki who was murdered in the land dispute in Zimbabwe. I got your contact through a liable network online in my search for a reliable and reputable person to help us handle a top confidential transaction which involves a transfer of fund to a foreign account and that is the reason why I decided to write you for urgent assistance. My late husband was among the Zimbabwe Rich farmers murdered in cold blood by the agents of the ruling government of President Robert Mugabe for his alleged support and sympathy for the Zimbabwean opposition party controlled by the white minorities. Before his death, he had taken our only son (James Zonki) to Johannesburg, South Africa to deposit the sum of US$25.5 (Twenty Five Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only) with a private security company. This money was earmarked for purchase of new machinery and chemicals for the farm and the establishment of new farms in Lesotho and Swaziland. Please kindly understand that the security company does not know the real content of the consignment deposited with them. The consignment was deposited as a family valuable to avoid too much demurrage in their custody for safe keeping.

The land problem arose when President Robert Mugabe introduced a new land Act that wholly affected the rich white farmers and some few blacks vehemently condemned the ‘Modus operandi’ adopted by the government. This resulted in rampant killings and mob actions by the war veterans and some political thugs; precisely, (31) people died during the protest. Heads of government from the west, especially Britain and United States of America have voiced their condemnation of Mugabe’s plan. However, South African Development Community (SADC) has continuously supported Mugabe’s new land act, and it is against this background that my Son and I who are currently residing in South Africa as asylum seekers have decided to transfer my husband’s money into a foreign account. As a matter of fact, we are saddled with the responsibility of seeking a genuine foreign partner account where this money could be transferred without the knowledge of my government who freezed our family assets and South African government seems to be playing along with them. I am afraid of investing this money in South Africa for the fear of encountering the same experience in future since both countries have almost the same political history. More so, the South African Foreign Exchange policy does not permit such by Asylum seekers like us to invest or involve our self in any banking transaction.

As a business person whom I wish to entrust my future and that of my family into his hands, I must let you know that this transaction is 100% risk free and the nature of your business does not necessarily matter. For your assistance, we have decided to offer you 20% of the total sum, 75% for me and my son (James Zonki) while 5% will be mapped out for any expenses we may incur in the course of the transfer into your nominated bank account overseas. Finally, all we need from you is assurance that you will not sit on this money when it finally transferred into your personal or company’s account in your country for our life and future investment. If this proposal is acceptable to you, kindly get back to us through the above contact details. Please do not forget to include your direct telephone and fax numbers for oral communication. Please note that I’m very sick of HIGH BLOOD PREASURE and was admitted in the hospital for treatment. I will please ask you in the name of God to call my son immediately you receive this letter for more details.

Thanks and God bless you as we hope to hear from you as soon as possible.

Best regards,

Mrs. Regina Zonki.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam