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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: "Ramontja Thibedi" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <drmt@mountainvsion.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2014 01:00:50 -0800
Subject: ompliment of the season

<HTML><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgcolor=#FFFFFF leftmargin=5 topmargin=5 rightmargin=5 bottommargin=5>
<FONT size=2 color=#000000 face="Arial">
<DIV>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Strictly Confidential</DIV>
<DIV>
</DIV>
<DIV>
Hello,</DIV>
<DIV>
</DIV>
<DIV>
I am Dr. Thibedi Ramontja, Director Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) First and foremost; I apologized using this medium to reach you for a transaction/business of this magnitude. Be informed that I got your particulars from a member of the South Africa Export Promotion Council (SAEPC) who was at the Government delegation to your country during a trade exhibition. 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.</DIV>
<DIV>
</DIV>
<DIV>
Within the Department of Mineral Resources where I work as a Director and with the co-operation of other officials, we have in our possession an overdue payment bills totaling Sixteen Million, Four Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$16,400,000.00) 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 or a reliable foreign non-company account to receive such funds. 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 in the whole transaction.</DIV>
<DIV>
</DIV>
<DIV>
This amount (US$16.4m) represents the balance of the total contract value executed in my Department by a foreign contracting firm, which I and 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 approvals to remit by Telegraphic Transfer (T.T) to any foreign bank account you will provide.</DIV>
<DIV>
</DIV>
<DIV>
I have the authority of my partners involved to propose that should you be willing to assist us in this transaction, your share of the sum will be 20% of the US$16.4 million, 60% for us and 10% for taxation and miscellaneous expenses and the remaining 10% will be for charity Organization. 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 above confidential phone, fax or email, whether or not you are interested in this deal.</DIV>
<DIV>
</DIV>
<DIV>
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 a very confidential matter, because we will not comprehend with any form of exposure as we are still in active Government Service, it is pertinent to inform you that time is of the essence in this transaction.</DIV>
<DIV>
</DIV>
<DIV>
I wait in anticipation of your fullest co-operation.</DIV>
<DIV>
</DIV>
<DIV>
</DIV>
<DIV>
Yours faithfully,</DIV>
<DIV>
</DIV>
<DIV>
</DIV>
<DIV>
Dr. Thibedi Ramontja</DIV>
</FONT>
</BODY></HTML>

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