Another e-mail scam aimed at Minister Shabangu emerges; ... but don't try to discuss soccer with 419 fraudsters, they aren't interested.(News)

BYLINE: Gill Gifford

A circulating Nigerian 419 scam e-mail, sup posedly from Deputy Safety and Security Minister Susan Shabangu, has surfaced again.

The letter purports to be a request from Shabangu for assistance to shift $16,5-million (R113,4-million) out of South Africa from a bank account belonging to her husband, which she discovered after his death.

The letter offers a genuine government website profiling Shabangu in its efforts to convince the recipient of "Shabangu's" true status.

But while Shabangu is aware of the scam letter, her office is not prepared to comment on the matter.

"We have handed that matter over to the police and they are dealing with it and commenting on it," Noxolo Kweza, Shabangu's spokesperson, said yesterday.

Police spokesperson Director Phuti Setati yesterday said he was unaware of a new emergence of the 419 scam in SA.

The police have, however, posted warnings about it on their website, assuring South Africans that a task team had been established within the commercial branch to investigate the case.

The notorious 419 scams are named after Section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code.

The scheme operates on the basis of a person being contacted by fax or e-mail and offered a percentage of a large sum of money in exchange for their help to transfer the windfall.

It's a business proposal, usually generated by a Nigerian syndicate but purporting to be from a senior government official, who claims to be in possession of a large amount of over-budgeted money.

The proposal entails the transfer of the money to a bank account outside the country from where the letter was sent.

Although a fairly plausible explanation is given for the transaction, the deal appeals to the intended victim's greed as they are promised commission for the use of their bank account.

The SAPS, the government, the Reserve Bank and most local commercial banks have all posted warnings about the scam on the Internet, yet the letters continue to circulate.

The Shabangu hoax has been exposed on the website: www.scamorama.com by the Russian publisher Mikhail Stroganov, who posted his communications with the Shabangu letter writer online in 2004. Stroganov received the proposal and responded in a friendly manner, asking for more information.

"Shabangu" replies, ex-plaining that Stroganov will be required to travel to Europe and take receipt of all the funds in a trunk and keep them safely until he can meet "Shabangu".

He is assured that there are no risks and asked for his personal details and a copy of his passport.

Stroganov then asks for documentary proof of "frankly rather outlandish" claims, urging "Shabangu" to respond quickly as he is due at Annie's Bar.

"Shabangu" assures him that the documents will be forwarded to him, but hands over the communications to her lawyer Barry Smith.

Stroganov agrees to co-operate and asks if "Shabangu" likes soccer, as he likes to discuss the sport during his business dealings.

"Shabangu" responds that she has no interest in soccer and urges Stroganov to forward his details which he does, minus a contact phone number.

Stroganov is then contacted by a man claiming to be Barrister Barry Dapo Smith of Smith Attorneys, who claims to be working on the agreement, but asks for a phone number "for easy communication".

Stroganov replies, explaining that he was handing over the matter to his attorney Jonathan Mokoena and insists on some discussions about soccer to "oil the wheels of commerce".

He again asks for documented evidence of the money that needs to be transferred, suddenly and abruptly ending the communication.