Scam Money Transfers
Example - Sacca Lafia, Minister of Mines, Energy, & Water, Republique du Benin
Did you receive an email from a "Sacca Lafia" who
"cannot own or operate any foreign account, I want you to assist me receive the sum of Nine Million ($9 million) US dollars into your account". It's the usual scam of a self-described "government official" who
claims that there are "unawarded" or unpaid contract funds that will be "lost"
if they are not claimed. And since he is bound by his government's laws
and prohibited from having any foreign bank account, he needs you! He just
wants to deposit the money in your bank account - all you have to do is cash the
check and send part of it back to him. He's willing to share it with you.
Of course, he tells you "everything is legitimate and will be legally
performed". We presume fraud and money laundering must therefore be legal in his
mind. It is a rather preposterous statement in any case.
Even if this were all true, you would be committing several
felonies and would end up in prison. In reality, it is all a scam.
Sacca Lafia (not his real name, obviously) hopes to con you into sending money for various "fees" to free the fortune.
If you would like a step by step
explanation of how this type of "Advance Fee Fraud" works, click here!
Notice (highlighted below)
some of the other
obvious signs that this is a scam are poor
spelling , use of free Yahoo/Hotmail/etc email accounts, proposals that make no
sense, etc.. Notice the aboslute gibberish, sentences which make no sense.
This is obviously an uneducated criminal!
Scam email:
From: "Sacca Lafia" <lafiasacca387@gawab.com>
Reply-to:
sacca_lafia@yahoo.fr
Subject: MY OFFER
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:36:04 GMT
Dear Partner,
Though, the internet has been greatly abused by bad
fraudulent persons. I chose to reach you through it because it still remains
the fastest medium of communication. However, this correspondence is
unofficial and private, and it should be treated as such.
I also guarantee
you that this transaction is hitch free from all legal implication and it is
not a scam.
My name is Sacca Lafia, Ministre des Mines, de
L'énergie, et de L’eau (Minister of Mines, Energy, & Water) in the
Republique du Benin. I have earned great respect and reputation in my
country, having climbed the ladder of leadership as a result of my
commitment to the economic development of my country. Mineral resource
ownership in Benin is vested in the state, which grants exclusive rights for
exploration and development through the Ministère des Mines, de L'énergie,
et de L'eau. The Benin Mining Code (Act No.83-003 of May 1983) is regulated
by Decree 89-296, and Act No. 83-004 addresses fiscal policy that affects
mineral development.
Since I cannot own or operate any foreign account, I
want you to assist me receive the sum of Nine Million ($9 million) US
dollars into your account. This payment is as a result of Government
resolution to pay all outstanding contract debt in Benin . So I want to
present you or your company as the contractor that assisted in the supply
and execution in my Ministry which payment have not been made so that
payment will be made to you subsequent to be shared among ourselves. You
will never regret this transaction.
I am a man of my word and my credibility has been
considered, so everything as regard this transaction will be legitimately
done. We shall process all due paper work to enable a legitimate transfer to
protect ourselves and you also. You will receive your share and also assist
me in investment projects in your country with my own share. As soon as I
confirm receipt of this money in your nominated bank account, I will come
over to your country to arrange for my own share and possibly invest part of
this money in your country. Let honesty and trust be our watchword
throughout this transaction. I will send you the details upon the swift
response of this offer. We shall also negotiate the sharing ration.
Send me your contact details including the name of
your company, house phone, cell phone and fax number and address so that we
can commence due legal process to get payment approvals and also how you
wish to receive the fund either by direct bank to bank wire transmission or
bank check. Plz contact me at my private mail:
sacca_lafia@yahoo.fr
Your prompt reply will be highly appreciated.
My regards,
Sacca Lafia.
Ministre des Mines, de L'énergie, et de L’eau
Republique du Benin.
Email Message Header information:
X-Originating-IP: [204.97.230.39]
Return-Path: <lafiasacca387@gawab.com>
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Received: from 204.97.230.39 (HELO info55.gawab.com)
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CC:
Received: from 212.100.250.209 by mail.gawab.com
with HTTP; Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:36:04 GMT
From: "Sacca Lafia" <lafiasacca387@gawab.com>
Reply-to: sacca_lafia@yahoo.fr
Subject: MY OFFER
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:36:04 GMT
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
boundary="=_1198146964_909377_78555"
X-Originating-IP: [212.100.250.209]
Content-Length: 6610
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