419 scam: chen@yahoo.com New Email From Mr. Chen Wu

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- wu_chen04@yahoo.com.hk (Yahoo, Hong Kong; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: chen@yahoo.com
Reply-To: wu_chen04@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:54:08 -0400
Subject: New Email From Mr. Chen Wu

I am Mr Chen Wu,Business Relationship Manager of a bank in
China. I am
contacting you because of the uniqueness of your name which
is very
important to this transaction. Due to the exact nature of
this business proposal, I advice that there should be utmost
onfidentiality in all matters I shall discuss with you
because it is only on this premise of reliability and
implicit trust in our capabilities that the exact dividends
of this proposal will be achieved.Privileged information and
official instruments at my disposal will enable this
proposal in the right perspective for a 100% successful
execution rate, it is therefore paramount for me to be
assured of your discretion in handling details of this
proposal which I will discuss with you once I receive an
acknowledgement of this email from you with the assurance
that even though, the possibility exist of you declining to
this proposal,my identity can still be protected with your
assured discretion. I await your response which should be
sent ONLY to my personal email at wu_chen04@yahoo.com.hk

Sincerely,
Mr Chen Wu
E-mail: wu_chen04@yahoo.com.hk

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam