419 scam: AMBASSADOR JAMES KNIGHT <bnkse@superposta.com> FROM AMBASSADOR JAMES KNIGHT. UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO BENIN

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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.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "mtcn" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: AMBASSADOR JAMES KNIGHT <bnkse@superposta.com>
Reply-To: ambassadorjamesk@ymail.com
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2013 03:25:32 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: FROM AMBASSADOR JAMES KNIGHT. UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO BENIN

FROM AMBASSADOR JAMES KNIGHT. UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO BENIN
REPUBLIC/01 BP. 201 EMBASSY SUIT

ATTENTION MY DEAR FRIEND

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY? I HOPE YOU ARE ALL FINE BY THE
GRACE OF ALMIGHTY GOD. THIS IS HON. JAMES KNIGHT, US AMBASSADOR TO BENIN. I AM
WRITING TO INFORM YOU THAT I SHALL BE COMING TO THE UNITED STATES FOR AN
OFFICIAL MEETING ASSIGNMENT THIS WEEK AND I WILL BE BRINGING YOUR INTEREST
PAYMENT OF (US$3.5 MILLION USD) ALONG WITH ME BUT YOU KNOW THAT I WILL GO
THROUGH CUSTOMS AND HOME LAND SECURITY BUT AS A US AMBASSADOR TO BENIN REPUBLIC,
I AM A US GOVERNMENT AGENT AND I HAVE THE VETO POWER TO PASS THROUGH
CUSTOMS.

I AM SCHEDULED TO HAVE A BRIEF MEETING WITH THE SECRETARY OF
THE STATE NEXT WEEK. SO I WILL BE COMING WITH YOUR OVER DELAYED PAYMENT WHICH
HAVE BEEN DELAYING HERE BY THE WESTERN UNION AND MONEY GRAM OFFICES FOR A VERY
LONG TIME.

YOU SHOULD SEND YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER AND YOUR ADDRESS WHERE
YOU WANT ME TO BRING YOUR ATM MASTER CARD.

YOU HAVE REALLY PAID SO MUCH
AS I WAS MADE TO UNDERSTAND AND THAT IS WHY I HAVE PERSONALLY INTERVENED YOU ARE
A VERY LUCKY PERSON BECAUSE I SHALL BE BRINGING IT MYSELF AND THERE IS NOTHING
ANYONE CAN DO ABOUT IT, BECAUSE ALL THE WELFARE OF THE UNITED STATES CITIZENS
ARE MY CONCERN. I AM HERE TO PROTECT THE INTEREST OF THE AMERICAN CITIZENS NOT
TO BE CHEATED BY THE AFRICANS. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH OF THIS DELAYING OF YOUR FUNDS
HERE IN THIS COUNTRY.

YOUR ATM CARD PACKAGE WORTH (US$3.5MILLION USD)
MUST BE REGISTERED AS AN AMBASSADORIAL PACKAGE FOR ME TO DEFEAT ALL ODDS BUT THE
COST OF REGISTERING IT IS US$370.79CENT, WHICH IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE
TAKEN CARE OF, BUT DUE TO THE FACT THAT I DO NOT KNOW YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION
AT THIS TIME,

I AM ADVISING YOU TO SEND ONLY
$70.79CENT, SO I CAN COMPLETE IT WITH THE
$300.00 WHICH I HAVE AT HAND RIGHT NOW TO HAVE YOUR PACKAGE LEGALLY REGISTERED
AND AS SOON AS I ARRIVE TO YOUR HOUSE WITH YOUR ATM CARD I WILL FOLLOW YOU TO
ANY ATM MACHINE CENTER AROUND YOU SO YOU CAN WITHDRAW SOME MONEY FROM YOUR ATM
CARD AND THEN BALANCE ME THE $300.00 BEFORE I CAN PROCEED FOR MY OFFICIAL
MEETING ASSIGNMENT IN THE STATE.

THE FEE MUST BE PAID WITHIN THE NEXT 48
HOURS VIA WESTERN UNION SO THAT ALL NECESSARY ARRANGEMENT CAN BE MADE BEFORE
TIME WILL BE AGAINST US.

YOU SHOULD SEND THE FEE DIRECTLY TO THE REGISTRATION OFFICER WITH
THE INFORMATION BELOW:

RECEIVER'S NAME .......... SAM
CHIKA

CITY .............. COTONOU

COUNTRY..............BENIN REPUBLIC
TEXT QUESTION ........... GOD IS?

TEXT ANSWER ............. GOOD
AMOUNT.............
$70.79CENT
MTCN.?

SENDER NAME?

MY TRIP TO USA WILL BE BY THIS WEEKEND AND I EXPECT YOU TO COMPLY
NOW SO THAT THE DELIVERY CAN BE COMPLETED. IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY ON TIME, THEN IT
WILL NOT BE MY FAULT IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE YOUR ATM CARD PACKAGE. THIS IS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO RECEIVE YOUR ATM CARD NOW!.

PLS, TREAT THIS MESSAGE AS A MATTER OF URGENCY!.
YOURS TRULY,
HON. JAMES KNIGHT.
US AMBASSADOR TO BENIN REPUBLIC
EMAIL:
(ambassadorjamesk@ymail.com)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam