419 scam: MERYN GADIKWA OFFICIAL LETTER 14\12\2015

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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "a security company " (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. )
- "million 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)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "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.
- +27833683978 (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.
- meryngadikwafamily@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
- hse, parktown, 2001 jhb, south africa: email: meryngadikwafamily@gmail.com tel: +27 83 368 3978 strictly confidential dear sir/madam, (Gmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: MERYN GADIKWA
Reply-To: <meryngadikwa@outlook.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 2015 13:27:02 +0200
Subject: OFFICIAL LETTER 14\12\2015

FROM: MERYN GADIKWA
SUITE 120 BOLINGTON HSE,
PARKTOWN, 2001 JHB, SOUTH AFRICA:
EMAIL: meryngadikwafamily@gmail.com
TEL: +27 83 368 3978
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
Dear Sir/Madam,

Please do not think this is one of those junk mails you receive in your mailbox, which I myself receive also, but I plead for your tolerance and understanding. It is true that we have not known ourselves earlier before now or seen in person.

But with trust and sincerity that I approach you for assistance to transfer some fund into your bank account. Please do accept my apology. I write you this proposal, which I believe would be of great interest to you. I found your contact while I was doing a private research on the Internet for a reliable and capable foreign partner that will assist me and my family

I am MRS. MERYN GADIKWA the wife of MR.DENNIS GADIKWA of Zimbabwe. During the current war against farmers in Zimbabwe and from the support of our President Robert Mugabe to claim all the white owned farms in our country, all the white farmers were ordered to surrender their farms to his party members and his followers.
My husband who was one of the best farmers in our country and treasurer of the farmers co-operation and he did not support the ideas of my President Mr. Robert Mugabe to forcefully take away the white farmers farm lands, so the party members invaded my husband's farms and burnt everything in the farm, killed my husband and made away with a lot of items in his farm.

After the death of my husband, I and my family decided to move out of Zimbabwe because our lives were in danger with the money that my husband kept in his hidden safe in my house. The amount contained in the safe is US$25M (Twenty Five Million United states Dollars) and move to the Republic of South Africa where we deposited the money in a Security Company as a valuable item.

So I decided to make contact with an overseas firm whom will assist me to move this money out of South Africa, because we are asylum seekers here in South Africa. So if you consider this proposal, we have agreed to give you 30% of the total sum for helping us to move this money out to your country
and 10% will be mapped out for expenses both of us may incure during this transaction and 60% will be for me and family to invest in your country.
All I want is for you to furnish me with all your details and you're personal phone and fax numbers for easy communication. You can contact me or my son Eric on the above Tel or email address. NOTE: That this transaction is 100% risk free and absolutely confidential. Thanks and God bless you.

Best regards,
(Mrs.) Meryn Gadikwa
Email: merynandsonericgadikwa@gmail.com
Tel No: +27 83 368 3978

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam