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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: "Edward Nkosi" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <edwardnkosi2@mailme.dk>
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2020 10:13:15 -0700
Subject: Business Proposal (Still Waiting to hear from you)

Hello,               
 
Sorry for contacting you at this time that the world is facing COVID-19 Outbreak, we are on Lockdown here in South Africa  but i beleive that this will be the right time to contact you so that immediately we pass this Pandemic we will commence with the Transaction
 
I am Edward Nkosi, a native of Cape Town in South Africa and I am a Director Contract Implementation, Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) here in South Africa, First and Foremost my apology, for using this medium to reach you, for a transaction/business of this nature. Be informed that a member of the South Africa export Promotion Council (SEPC), who was member of the Government delegation to your country during a trade exhibition, gave your enviable credentials/particulars to me. I have decided to seek a confidential cooperation 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 Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) where I work as the director Contract implementation, and with the co-operation of four other top officials, we have in our possession as overdue payments bills totaling Sixty One million, five Hundred thousand U.S Dollars ($61,500,000) which we want to transfer abroad with the assistance and cooperation of a foreign company/individual to receive the said funds on our behalf or a reliable foreign company account to receive such funds. More so, we are handicapped in the circumstances, as the South Africa Code of Conduct does not allow us to operate offshore account hence your importance in the whole transaction.
 
This amount $61.5m 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 Telegraphic transfer (TT) 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 $61.5 million, 70% for us. The business itself is 100% safe/risk free, 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. Endeavour to contact me immediately through my email or fax number whether or not you are interested in this deal. If you are not, it will enable me scout for another foreign partner to carry out this deal. I want to assure you that my partners and myself 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, because we will not comprehend wi! t h any form of exposure as we a
 
I wait in anticipation of your fullest co-operation.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
Dr. Edward Nkosi
Private Email: edwardnkosi1@mailme.dk
My Direct Phone +27-120041856  Fax 27-120042621

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