Scam Money Transfers: ENGR.PATRICK ZUMA

Scam Money Transfers
Example - ENGR.PATRICK ZUMA, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing,(FMWH), Lagos

Did you receive an email from a "ENGR.PATRICK ZUMA" who wants "your strictest confidence in this transaction"  It's the usual "over-invoiced account" scam! "ENGR.PATRICK ZUMA" only wants you to help them defraud the customer, that's all.

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.  ENGR.PATRICK ZUMA (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, made-up words, proposals that make no sense, etc.:

---

Scam email:

FROM THE OFFICE OF ENGR.PATRICK ZUMA
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS AND HOUSING,
FEDERAL SECRETARIAT OFFICE COMPLEX,
FALOMO, IKOYI - LAGOS.

Dear sir,

First, I must solicit your strictest confidence in this transaction,this is by virtue of it's nature as
being utterly confidential and top secret as you were introduced to us in confidence through the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, foreign trade division. We are top officials from the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing,(FMWH),Federal Ministry of Finance and the Presidency, making up the Contract Review Panel (CRP) set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria to review contracts awarded by the past military administration.

In the course of our work on the CRP, we discovered this fund which resulted from grossly over-invoiced contracts which were executed for the FMW&H during the last administration. The companies that executed the contracts have been duly paid and the contracts commissioned leaving the sum of US$17.4 Million floating in the escrow account of the Central Bank of
Nigeria ready for payment.

I have therefore been mandated as a matter of trust by my colleagues in the panel to look for an overseas partner to whom we could transfer the sum of US$17.4M legally subcontracting the entitlement to your company. This is bearing in mind that our civil service code of conduct forbids us from owning foreign company or running foreign account while in government service hence the need for an overseas partner.

We have agreed that the funds will be shared thus after it has been paid into your account:

(1) 30% of the money will go to you for acting as the beneficiary of the fund.
(2) 10% has been set aside as an abstract projection for reimbursment to both parties for incidental expences that may be incurred in the course of the transaction.
(3) 60% to us the government officials (with which we wish to commence an importation business inconjunction with you ).

All logistics are in place and all modalities worked out for the smooth conclusion of the transaction within ten to fourteen days of commencement after receipt of the following information: Your company name, address, company's details,telephone & fax numbers.

These information will enable us make the applications and lodge claims to the concerned ministries & agencies in favour of your company and it is pertinent to state here that this transaction is entirely based on trust as the solar bank draft or certified cheque drawable in any of the Central Bank of Nigeria correspondent bankers around the world is going to be made in your name.

Please acknowledge the receipt of this letter using my e-mail address,stating your tel/fax number for further details.

Yours faithfully,
Engr.Patrick Zuma

---

*