Our Office of Consumer Protection has received a number of complaints about a scam involving faxes and emails that inquire about a confidential business relationship with an official in South Africa.
Consumers should beware of this scam and are encouraged to throw any of these faxes away and delete any emails. Do not reply to these offers or provide anyone with your personal financial information. This scam attempts to gain access to your bank account information to deduct funds and possibly steal your identity.
The text of a sample fax scam is included below. For more information about scams, visit our consumer protection page.
Foreign Fax Scam: Sample text submitted by a Kansas consumer
Private/Confidential
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE & ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
Corporate Tel.: +27-XXXXXXXXX.
Direct Tel. No.: +871-XXXXXXXXX
Direct Fax No.: +871-XXXXXXXXX
My Email - address: XXXXXXXX@yahoo.it
Dear ______,
Request for Confidential Business Relationship.
First, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction. I am a high placed official working with the Department of Finance & Economic Affairs in Johannesburg, South Africa. I and two other colleagues are currently in need of a silent foreign partner whose bank account we can use to transfer the sum of Eighteen Million Five Hundred Thousand U.S. Dollars. This fund is accrued legitimately to us as a commission from foreign contracts through our private connections. The fund is presently waiting to be remitted through an offshore funds manager to any overseas beneficiary confirmed by us as associate/receiver.
By virture of our positions as civil servants in my country, we cannot acquire this money in our names. Because as high placed civil servants, we are not allowed by the civil service code of conduct to own or operate bank accounts outside of our shores. On the other hand, it is not safe for us to keep the money here due to unstable political environment. I have been mandated as a matter of trust by my colleagues to look for an overseas silent partner who could work with us to facilitate transfer of this fund through his or her account for mutual benefit, hence the reason for this fax message.
What I am requesting from you is (1) to be our silent partner and receive the funds in your account in trust; and (2) Receive the funds in your account, take out your 15% commission and keep the rest of the money until I arrive there to meet you after the transfer is completed. You will be free to take out your commission immediately after the money hits your account.
This transaction, although discreet, is legitimate and the money will be transferred to your account with all the necessary back-up official documents showing legitimate source/origin of fund. The transfer will be effected to your account within a period of no longer than two weeks after you furnish me with a suitable bank account for processing the transfer. I plead with you on one issue, whether or not you are interested in becoming a partner, do not expose this information to anyone else. I confirm that the transaction is legitimate and without any risks either to us or to yourself. Please give me your immediate response through my alternate email address at XXXXXXX@yahoo.it
Yours faithfully,
Chief Dr. & Mrs. M. Hlahane