This article was sent to you by Jan Lamprecht.
It was sent from the Southern Africa in Crisis website at:
http://WWW.AfricanCrisis.Org/
Here is the text of the story:-
Damn! I am about to lose out on an opportunity at getting more than $7
million.
South Africa is slowly becoming more and more corrupt like the rest of
Africa. Look at what must be the first version of “the South African Scam”
- a take on the notorious “Nigerian Scam”.
For years I have been sending out warnings to people about the Nigerian
scam. I get so very many of these that I do not even post warnings about
them any more. I have personally received more than 50 of these things.
American friends of mine have received these nuisance things.
THEY ARE SPECIFICALLY TARGETTED AT PEOPLE OUTSIDE AFRICA BECAUSE THE
TRANSACTIONS ARE NORMALLY IN US DOLLARS OR THEY REQUEST THAT THE MONEY BE
MOVED TO AMERICAN BANK ACCOUNTS.
The Nigerian scam is a worldwide thing - and IT CAN BE DANGEROUS!!
Essentially you get a letter from someone in Nigeria asking for your
assistance in a VERY LUCRATIVE deal. The scam is complex. At first it
seems like the opportunity of a lifetime has fallen into your lap. But at
some point they want money from you and that’s when they rip you off.
There are lots of Nigerians in South Africa (especially drug dealers), and
last year I heard on the news of a man who flew to South Africa from
Britain because of such a letter. When he got here the local Nigerian scam
artists actually robbed him in Johannesburg. It is rare for one to be
physically robbed but this British man was foolish enough to trust these
people. The Nigerian scam involves money transactions and that is how you
are targetted. They normally give fax numbers and e-mail addresses in
Nigeria.
However, today I received something I’d never seen or heard of before - a
con artist in South Africa mimicking the Nigerian scam. Here is the exact
e-mail I received, along with the e-mail address, etc.
SO BEWARE OF SIMILAR OFFERS - they sound good, but you are going to be
ripped off. This guy must be brain dead or something because he doesn’t
realise I’m in Africa, even though my e-mail address: pbs@iafrica.com
should say it all?
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Please spread this around so as to warn your family
& friends because these scam artists prey on innocent people around the
world.
This was the e-mail I got:-
Date sent: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 19:11:46 +0000
From: Samuel Mokoena <mokenass_demr@37.com>
Subject: # Contact#
To: PBS@IAFRICA.COM
Mineralia Centre,
391 Andries Street,
PRETORIA
I would like to begin by way of introduction; My name is Sam Mokoena, a
native of South Africa. I am a senior employee of South Africa Department
of Energy and Mineral Resources. You were introduced to us in confidence
through the South African Chambers of Commerce and Foreign trade division.
I am writing this letter to solicit your co-operation in order to redeem
an investment currently held under trust with the Department of Energy and
Mineral Resources of South Africa. The said investment now valued at
USD$26.426M (Twenty six million, four hundred and twenty six thousand
American dollars), was originally purchased by one Mr. Dwight Ausserer,
and leased to the Transvaal Orange Mining Corporation in 1977.
Since the maturity of this contract in September 1997, several attempts
have been made without success to contact Mr. Dwight Ausserer or any of
his close relatives, in whose favor the investment cash value can be paid.
My partner, who is the Account Director in the same Ministry and I, have
initiated the process of filing a claim for this money with the hope of
having the funds transferred to you. In order to do this, we will swear an
affidavit in the High Court of my country stating that you are a distant
cousin and next of kin to Mr. Dwight Ausserer the owner of the money.
After which, we will file a claim for this money from the Department of
Energy and Mineral Resources, indicating that you were appointed by Mr.
Ausserer to be the beneficiary of these funds. When the claim is approved
you as the beneficiary will be paid the sum of USD$26.426M.
The money will be paid directly to any bank of your choice; you will have
the responsibility to ensure that my partner and I receive 70% of the
money while you keep the remaining 25% for your assistance. The remaining
5% will be for incidental expenses.
I want to assure you that my partner and I are in a position to make the
payment of this claim possible provided that you can give us very strong
guarantee that our share will be secured, and that you will not take
advantage of our position.
Be assured that there is absolutely nothing to worry about in the view of
this claim. It is perfectly safe with no risks involved, and it is not
subject to any inquiry, since my partner and I will be handling the claim
directly in South Africa on your behalf.
I do hope my proposal is acceptable to you. Please acknowledge the receipt
of this letter, so that I can provide you with more clarification about
the claim and how we intend to make this deal beneficial to everyone
involved, Please reach me at the above E-mail Address
Yours Sincerely
Sam Mokoena.