This is a scam. There a large number of variants of this scam now. The common features are "loads of money or gems", <insert place in Africa here>, and a fax/phone number/e-mail address. They all want some money-up-front and that is the way the scam artists make their money, this is also known as a "4-1-9" or the "Advance Fee Fraud" scheme.
This one appears to be a variant of the frequently seen Nigerian Money Transfer scam, but it has obviously gone south for the winter.
From:JOVAOBASI 3/5 RIDER HAGGARD CLOSE, JO, BORG SOUTH AFRICA. Tel/fax: 27 - 83 -5535562 RE: TRANSFER OF ($ 126,000.000.00 USD) ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX MILLION DOLLARS Dear sir, In order to transfer out (USD 126 MILLION) One hundred and twenty six million United States Dollars from DEVELOPMENT BANK FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA [DBSA]. I want to ask you to quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new Bank a/c immediately to receive this money, even an empty a/c can also serve for this purpose. I am Mr JOVAOBASI, the Auditor General of Development Bank For Southern Africa, during the course of our auditing I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1990 and since 1993 nobody has operated on this account again, after going through some old files, from the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a [heir] hence the money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account is Mr. Allan P. Seaman, a foreigner, and an industrialist, and he died, since 1993 and no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that Allan P. Seaman until his death was the manager Diamond Safari [pty]. SA. We will start the first transfer with Twenty Six Million [$26,000.000] upon successful transaction without any disappoint from your side, we shall re-apply for the payment of the remaining rest amount to your account, I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a local person here, but can only be approved to any foreigner with valid information about Mr. Allan P. Seaman who is a foreigner too. However, I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let me down when the money enters your A/C. Send also your private telephone and fax number including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit I need your full understanding and co-operation to make this work fine because the management of the Bank is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct information of this account, which I will give to you, upon your positive response. Two of us will fly to your country at least two days ahead of the money going into the account. I will use my position and influence to obtain all legal approvals for onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance from the relevant ministries and foreign exchange departments for easy and smooth transfer of the fund into your account without question. At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 35% of the total amount, 60% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during the process of transferring this money. I am looking forward to hear from you. Yours truly JOVAOBASI,
From:JOVAOBASI 3/5 RIDER HAGGARD CLOSE, JO, BORG SOUTH AFRICA. Tel/fax: 27 - 83 -5535562
RE: TRANSFER OF ($ 126,000.000.00 USD) ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX MILLION DOLLARS
Dear sir,
In order to transfer out (USD 126 MILLION) One hundred and twenty six million United States Dollars from DEVELOPMENT BANK FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA [DBSA]. I want to ask you to quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new Bank a/c immediately to receive this money, even an empty a/c can also serve for this purpose.
I am Mr JOVAOBASI, the Auditor General of Development Bank For Southern Africa, during the course of our auditing I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1990 and since 1993 nobody has operated on this account again, after going through some old files, from the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a [heir] hence the money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account is Mr. Allan P. Seaman, a foreigner, and an industrialist, and he died, since 1993 and no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that Allan P. Seaman until his death was the manager Diamond Safari [pty]. SA.
We will start the first transfer with Twenty Six Million [$26,000.000] upon successful transaction without any disappoint from your side, we shall re-apply for the payment of the remaining rest amount to your account,
I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a local person here, but can only be approved to any foreigner with valid information about Mr. Allan P. Seaman who is a foreigner too.
However, I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let me down when the money enters your A/C.
Send also your private telephone and fax number including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit
I need your full understanding and co-operation to make this work fine because the management of the Bank is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct information of this account, which I will give to you, upon your positive response. Two of us will fly to your country at least two days ahead of the money going into the account.
I will use my position and influence to obtain all legal approvals for onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance from the relevant ministries and foreign exchange departments for easy and smooth transfer of the fund into your account without question.
At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 35% of the total amount, 60% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during the process of transferring this money.
I am looking forward to hear from you.
Yours truly JOVAOBASI,
Here's another version received 18/10/2001:
From: PASCAL EZE <tkrce2000@yahoo.com> Subject: VERY URGENT FUND TRANSFER To: xxx.xxxxxxxx.xxx 3/5 RIDER HAGGARD CLOSE, JO, BORG SOUTH AFRICA. (URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL) (RE: TRANSFER OF ($ 152,000.000.00 USD ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TWO MILLION DOLLARS) Dear, We want to transfer to overseas ($ 152,000.000.00 USD) One hundred and Fifty two million United States Dollars) from a Prime Bank in Africa, I want to ask you to quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new Bank a/c immediately to receive this money, even an empty a/c can serve to receive this money, as long as you will remain honest to me till the end for this important business trusting in you and believing in God that you will never let me down either now or in future. I am Mr Pascal Eze, the Auditor General of prime banks in Africa, during the course of our auditing I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1990 and since 1993 nobody has operated on this account again, after going through some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a [heir] hence the money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing. the owner of this account is Mr. Allan P. Seaman, a foreigner, and an industrialist, and he died, since 1993. and no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that Allan P. Seaman until his death was the manager Diamond Safari [pty]. SA. We will start the first transfer with fifty two million [$52,000.000] upon successful transaction without any disappoint from your side, we shall re-apply for the payment of the remaining rest amount to your account, The amount involved is (USD 152M) One hundred and Fifty two million United States Dollars, only I want to first transfer $52,000.000 [fifty two million United States Dollar from this money into a safe foreigners account abroad before the rest, but I don't know any foreigner, I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved to a local person here, without valid international foreign passport, but can only be approved to any foreigner with valid international passport or drivers license and foreign a/c because the money is in us dollars and the former owner of the a/c Mr. Allan P. Seaman is a foreigner too, [and the money can only be approved into a foreign a/c However, we will sign a binding agreement, to bind us together I got your contact address from the Girl who operates computer, I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let me down in this business, you are the first and the only person that I am contacting for this business, so please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take urgently. Send also your private telephone and fax number including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit. I want us to meet face to face to build confidence and to sign a binding agreement that will bind us together before transferring the money to any account of your choice where the fund will be safe. Before we fly to your country for withdrawal, sharing and investments. I need your full co-operation to make this work fine. because the management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct information of this account, which I will give to you, upon your positive response and once I am convinced that you are capable and will meet up with instruction of a key bank official who is deeply involved with me in this business. I need your strong assurance that you will never, never let me down. With my influence and the position of the bank official we can transfer this money to any foreigner's reliable account which you can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending our physical arrival in your country for sharing. The bank official will destroy all documents of transaction immediately we receive this money leaving no trace to any place and to build confidence you can come immediately to discuss with me face to face after which I will make this remittance in your presence and three of us will fly to your country at least two days ahead of the money going into the account. I will apply for annual leave to get visa immediately I hear from you that you are ready to act and receive this fund in your account. I will use my position and influence to obtain all legal approvals for onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance from the relevant ministries and foreign exchange departments. At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 35% of the total amount, 60% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during the process of transferring. I look forward to your earliest reply through my email address tkrce2000@yahoo.com yours truly Mr Pascal Eze.
From: PASCAL EZE <tkrce2000@yahoo.com> Subject: VERY URGENT FUND TRANSFER To: xxx.xxxxxxxx.xxx
3/5 RIDER HAGGARD CLOSE, JO, BORG SOUTH AFRICA.
(URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL)
(RE: TRANSFER OF ($ 152,000.000.00 USD ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TWO MILLION DOLLARS)
Dear,
We want to transfer to overseas ($ 152,000.000.00 USD) One hundred and Fifty two million United States Dollars) from a Prime Bank in Africa, I want to ask you to quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new Bank a/c immediately to receive this money, even an empty a/c can serve to receive this money, as long as you will remain honest to me till the end for this important business trusting in you and believing in God that you will never let me down either now or in future.
I am Mr Pascal Eze, the Auditor General of prime banks in Africa, during the course of our auditing I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1990 and since 1993 nobody has operated on this account again, after going through some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a [heir] hence the money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing. the owner of this account is Mr. Allan P. Seaman, a foreigner, and an industrialist, and he died, since 1993. and no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that Allan P. Seaman until his death was the manager Diamond Safari [pty]. SA.
We will start the first transfer with fifty two million [$52,000.000] upon successful transaction without any disappoint from your side, we shall re-apply for the payment of the remaining rest amount to your account,
The amount involved is (USD 152M) One hundred and Fifty two million United States Dollars, only I want to first transfer $52,000.000 [fifty two million United States Dollar from this money into a safe foreigners account abroad before the rest, but I don't know any foreigner, I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved to a local person here, without valid international foreign passport, but can only be approved to any foreigner with valid international passport or drivers license and foreign a/c because the money is in us dollars and the former owner of the a/c Mr. Allan P. Seaman is a foreigner too, [and the money can only be approved into a foreign a/c
However, we will sign a binding agreement, to bind us together I got your contact address from the Girl who operates computer, I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let me down in this business, you are the first and the only person that I am contacting for this business, so please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take urgently. Send also your private telephone and fax number including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit.
I want us to meet face to face to build confidence and to sign a binding agreement that will bind us together before transferring the money to any account of your choice where the fund will be safe. Before we fly to your country for withdrawal, sharing and investments.
I need your full co-operation to make this work fine. because the management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct information of this account, which I will give to you, upon your positive response and once I am convinced that you are capable and will meet up with instruction of a key bank official who is deeply involved with me in this business. I need your strong assurance that you will never, never let me down.
With my influence and the position of the bank official we can transfer this money to any foreigner's reliable account which you can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending our physical arrival in your country for sharing. The bank official will destroy all documents of transaction immediately we receive this money leaving no trace to any place and to build confidence you can come immediately to discuss with me face to face after which I will make this remittance in your presence and three of us will fly to your country at least two days ahead of the money going into the account.
I will apply for annual leave to get visa immediately I hear from you that you are ready to act and receive this fund in your account. I will use my position and influence to obtain all legal approvals for onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance from the relevant ministries and foreign exchange departments.
At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 35% of the total amount, 60% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during the process of transferring.
I look forward to your earliest reply through my email address tkrce2000@yahoo.com
yours truly
Mr Pascal Eze.
Here's another new version:
Subject: BUSINESS PROPOSAL, from "Martin Kabila." FAX: 871-762918981 EFAX: 17196237726 Email: olisa6@excite.com ATTENTION: DIRECTOR/CEO RE: URGENT ASSISTANCE. Kindly allow me the modesty of introducing myself. I am Martin Kabila, the son of the former head the state / President of Congo-Kinshasha (then called Zaire) President Laurent Desire Kabila. I got your particulars through the South African Chamber of Commerce. However, I am contacting you in order to ask for your assistance on this confidential business proposal with full financial benefit for both of us. Before I got into further details, please be informed that I am writing without any other person(s) pre-knowledge of contacting you on this transaction. Therefore, I will appreciate same attitude to be maintained all through. I have the sum of USD$48 Million from a secret sale of Diamond by my late father before he was assassinated by his bodyguard (Rashid) on January 16th 2001, which I will like you to receive on my behalf due to security reasons, as my narration below will explain. But before I continue, be well informed that your share in this transaction has been calculated at 20% of the total sum of USD$48 Million, 5% for expenses and the rest for my family and me. However, my father as a real African traditionalist was a polygamist, thereby having married so many wives, and my mother being the second wife of my father, my stepbrother Joseph, who is the current president of my Country, is the son of the first wife and he does not have my knowledge about this deal. Already, president Joseph is using his power of office to colonize all the money and private properties, which our father left behind for the whole family. Now, my mother and I are left with noting in the inheritance of my late father's wealth. Our situation is seriously critical that we need your assistance to help us receive these funds overseas for proper investment. Let me quickly assure you the 100% safe proof of this transaction because, the Diamond sales are packed from the onset in a pattern that shows no trace or linkage with us (Kabila family). At present, the money is in cash and is secured in a Security Company as family treasury. I am writing for your swift and favorable response. You are to contact me via my direct Tel: 871-762918980. Fax: 871-762918981. or by suing the above e-mail address. Your urgent responses is highly needed, and in case you have any question(s), don't hesitate to ask me. Best regards, Mark Kabila.
Subject: BUSINESS PROPOSAL, from "Martin Kabila."
FAX: 871-762918981 EFAX: 17196237726 Email: olisa6@excite.com ATTENTION: DIRECTOR/CEO
RE: URGENT ASSISTANCE.
Kindly allow me the modesty of introducing myself. I am Martin Kabila, the son of the former head the state / President of Congo-Kinshasha (then called Zaire) President Laurent Desire Kabila.
I got your particulars through the South African Chamber of Commerce. However, I am contacting you in order to ask for your assistance on this confidential business proposal with full financial benefit for both of us.
Before I got into further details, please be informed that I am writing without any other person(s) pre-knowledge of contacting you on this transaction. Therefore, I will appreciate same attitude to be maintained all through.
I have the sum of USD$48 Million from a secret sale of Diamond by my late father before he was assassinated by his bodyguard (Rashid) on January 16th 2001, which I will like you to receive on my behalf due to security reasons, as my narration below will explain. But before I continue, be well informed that your share in this transaction has been calculated at 20% of the total sum of USD$48 Million, 5% for expenses and the rest for my family and me. However, my father as a real African traditionalist was a polygamist, thereby having married so many wives, and my mother being the second wife of my father, my stepbrother Joseph, who is the current president of my Country, is the son of the first wife and he does not have my knowledge about this deal. Already, president Joseph is using his power of office to colonize all the money and private properties, which our father left behind for the whole family. Now, my mother and I are left with noting in the inheritance of my late father's wealth. Our situation is seriously critical that we need your assistance to help us receive these funds overseas for proper investment. Let me quickly assure you the 100% safe proof of this transaction because, the Diamond sales are packed from the onset in a pattern that shows no trace or linkage with us (Kabila family). At present, the money is in cash and is secured in a Security Company as family treasury. I am writing for your swift and favorable response. You are to contact me via my direct Tel: 871-762918980. Fax: 871-762918981. or by suing the above e-mail address. Your urgent responses is highly needed, and in case you have any question(s), don't hesitate to ask me.
Best regards, Mark Kabila.
Please ignore any messages regarding this scam and do not pass on any messages regarding it. Passing on messages about this scam serves only to further propagate it.
You can send copies of these scams to: 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov and they will follow them up.