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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.

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

Fraud email example:

From: "ADAMS HENRY" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ADAMSHENRY@protonmail.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2018 04:37:23 -0600
Subject: URGENTLY & EXTREMELY CONFIDENTIAL

From Engr. Steve Nkhoza
Chairman Sasoil Contract Committee
Sasoil Oil & Gas Int'l Energy Company
Rosebank-Johannesburg, South Africa
 
Attn:     
 
URGENTLY AND EXTREMELY CONFIDENTIAL
 
By introduction, I am Engr. Steve Nkhoza and the Chairman of the Tender Board Committee which awards contract in the Department of Petroleum Resources of Sasoil Oil & Gas Int'l Energy Company, Johannesburg, South Africa . I sent you email sometime ago informing you of a plan to transfer the sum of US$8.6 Million (Eight Million, Six Hundred Thousand U. S Dollars only) to your account, and have been waiting to hear from you ever since, but to no avail, hence this particular message by way of reminder.
 
I want you to know that these funds originated from an Over-invoiced contract sum which was awarded to a foreign firm in 2012. At that time, I used my position as the Chairman of the Tender Board Committee and purposely inflated the actual cost of the contract with the extra value of US$8.6 Million. However, the original contractor has fully executed the contract, the project commissioned and the contractor paid his actual contract worth, leaving behind the over-invoiced sum which is US$8.6 Million. So, it is based on this that I now want you/your company to come forward to stand in and claim this sum in my behalf.
 
You may wish to know that I am a Civil Servants working with the Sasoil firm and by law, I am not allowed to operate foreign bank account while still in office and equally cannot claim the money in my name as that will expose me, So you are to act as the one who had executed the sub-contract worth the sum of US$8.6 Million for my Department and you now want your payment settled. Remarkably, this deal is 100% risk free. Prior to contacting you, I have worked out modalities that would guarantee a hitch free transfer of this fund to your account fully free of any illegal act or encumbrances and are clean, clear and non-criminal origin. I will guide you on how to go about it upon your return mail and we shall claim the fund without any difficulty.
 
If you are interested in the proposal, and you are a trustworthy person who would not sit on this money if it is transferred into your account, kindly indicate by contacting me through my E-mail and you can as well send your bank account details for this transfer. Please note that this deal must be kept absolutely confidential till we have concluded it. I have also mapped out 35% of the total sum for your compensation for your help and assistance to receive the fund.
 
NOTE again that upon completion of this transaction,I shall visit you immediately to collect and invest my share in your country. Therefore, you will equally assist me to identify and advise me on any viable business which will have a good return on investment in your country. Please send your response through my private email address: ========= for my urgent attention.
 
Thank you as I look forward to your anticipated co-operation.
 
Yours faithfully,
Engr. Steve Nkhoza

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