The name of the South African government official Susan Shabangu has been used by email scammers for many years. The latest such message follows a format that scammers are starting to use more often: a very brief email, combined with an attachment that includes more details. The email itself only reads:
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2015
From: “MRS.SUSAN SHABANGU” shabangus065@gmail.com
Reply-To: “MRS.SUSAN SHABANGU” susanshabangus5.ggov@gmail.com
Subject: I NEED YOUR HELP PLEASE VIEW THE ATTACHED FILE AND GET BACK TO MEMINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY
OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
Although it’s not usually a good idea to open attachments from people you don’t know, we sometimes do it here at ScamHunter.org so we can provide as much information to our readers as possible. The attachment is a pdf file that contains a very familiar advance fee fraud letter with all the usual features — a secret bank account, a rich widow, and poor orphans:
FROM MRS. SUSAN SHABANGU
Minister of Women in the Presidency
OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
TELE: 8468-454-34
(susanshabangus.ggov@gmail.com)Good Day:
First, let me start by introducing myself as MS SUSAN SHABANGU, a mother of three children and the Minister of Women in the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa since May 2014. To date under the auspices of the President of South Africa MR JACOB ZUMA. After due deliberation with my children, I decided to contact you for your assistance in standing as a beneficiary to the sum of US$30.5M (Thirty Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only) You can view my profile at my (website ) and read about me. THE PROPOSAL, After the swearing in ceremony making me the Minister of Women in the Presidency, my husband Mr. Ndebele Shabangu died while he was on an official trip to china in 2014.
After his death, I discovered that he had some funds in a dollar account which amounted to the sum of US$30.5M with a security and finance institution in South Africa of which I will divulge information to you when I get your full consent and support to go for a change of beneficiary and subsequent transfer of the funds into you a comfortable and conducive account of your choice.
This fund emanated as a result of an over-invoiced contract which he executed with the Government of South Africa. Though I assisted him in getting this contract but I never knew that it was over-invoiced by him. I am afraid that the government of South Africa might start to investigate on contracts awarded from 1990 to date.
If they discover this money in his bank account, they will confiscate it and seize his assets here in South Africa and this will definitely affect my political career in, government. I want your assistance in opening an account with bankers through my banker so that this fund could be wired into your account directly without any hitch. I am offering you 20% of the principal sum which amounts to US$6,100.000.00 (Six million One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only) and 5% will be for any expenses that both of us may Insure in this transaction. And another 5% will go for Motherless babes home. However, you have to assure me and also be ready to go into agreement with me that you will not elope with my fund.
If you agree to my terms, kindly as a matter of urgency send me an email. (susanshabangus.ggov@gmail.com ) if you want to speak with my Banker that promise to help move this fund out of south Africa to your account, that is fine give you my private numbers so that we can talk more about the transfer, Please I do not need to remind you of the need for absolute Confidentiality of this transaction.
You might think where i got your email contact, i got your email id from the South Africa chamber of commecre in a search for a honest person who will assist me transfer my fund out of South Africa
My regards to your family.
Yours faithfully, pls get back to me
MRS. SUSAN SHABANGU
Minister of Women in the Presidency
Republic of South Africa since May 2014.
TELE: 8468-454-34
PLEASE REPLY WITH MY PRIVATE EMAIL: susanshabangus.ggov@gmail.com
Since “Susan Shabangu” seems to be popular with the scammer crowd, we can be pretty sure we’ll see her name in more messages in the future.
