Barr. Peter Degrace Makati & Internet SCAM & South African Refugee SCAM
For 6 months& I have been communicating with a refugee, Solo Zuma, who are located in South Africa. I agreed to help them transfer money to the US& after hearing that Solo's family was a very wealthy farming family— that lost their farm in the recent take-over of their farmlands.
According to Solo& he and his family had over $19,000, 000 in a security account that was worth absolutely nothing& with the current economic climate in S. Africa. The story went something like this... After his farm was taken over&he and his family were committed to a refugee camp— and the money was placed in a Security Company.
He needed to find someone in the US that could help him transfer his funds from Africa to the US.
I offered to open up 2 additional accounts— and help him make the transactions.
Upon corresponding with Solo for a few months& he said that he had located an attorney that would be handling the legal transactions to send money from a security company in S. Africa—to my US accounts.
Peter DeGrace Makati & was the selected attorney.
I began corresponding with Peter— in the hopes of transferring the money to the US accounts— and helping Solo and his family escape the terrible fate of being stuck in a refugee camp.
I got numerous e-mails back and forth from Solo and Peter Makati& over the past 4 months.
Finally& Peter said that it would cost over $3500 & to pay for his legal fees& ($1005.75 was to be used to pay for the affidavit that was necessary to handle the transactions).
I negotiated with Peter to wait until the transactions were complete before he would be paid his attorney fees. After much debate—he finally agreed to this.
I wrote a Power of Attorney Letter which clearly stated that if the transactions were not fully complete within 8 calendar days& that the attorney would send back my $1000 immediately.
On July 16th&I Money Grammed $1000.00 to Johannesburg to Nelson Oliko (Peter's assistant) at 84 Honey Street; Berea Johannesburg R.S.A.
Upon reciept of this& Peter's e-mail address was suddenly "down".
I could only reach him through contacting Solo& after this.
Peter e-mailed me a copy of the affidavit& that was sent via e-mail. It looked a more than a little bit& contrived...
At the end of the 8 calendar days; anticipating that the 19,000, 000 plus would be transfered to the accounts in the US& I got another e-mail stating "Uninteresting News"& and opened the e-mail to find a document stating that in order to send Solo's money to the US& I would be responsible for paying a fee of over $21,000 US Dollars.
I contacted Peter— and told him that I did not have that type of money& and that he was under agreement to send me back my $1000 if for any reason the transactions were not able to go through —within the 8 calendar days following receiving my initial Money Gram.
I have written over 8 e-mail letters to Peter... But have heard nothing from him& except for him to tell me that he used the $1000 to cover the charge for the affidavit.
He was under obligation to immediately send me my $1000 back& if for ANY REASON the money was not able to be wired into the US Accounts. This has not taken place& and I fear that this whole thing is nothing more than an Internet SCAM.
Peter is probably a "Made Up Name"&
For that matter& probably "Solo Zuma" is also a "Made up name".
Please watch out for similar plays on your emotions. It was very easy to get suckered into this. The promise of great fortune— and the altruistic act of helping out someone who had been wronged by having their family farm taken away— and ending up in the Refugee Camp— played heavily on my emotions. As did the stories that Solo would write explaining that his mother was very ill& due to being in the Refugee Camp.
No telling how many other millions of people they are SCAMMING with this stunt.
Please watch out for any similar stories...
Although there could actually be some legit people out there who are asking for assistance... Double check the attorney involved and make sure that you are not being "taken".
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