419 scam: "Jose Steven"<sandy@prairienet.com> With Love From Ghana Please Get Back.

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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:
- "demurrage " (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. )
- "the consignment" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "consignment " (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- ",500,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "my names are " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "a diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Jose Steven" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <josesteven010@outlook.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2013 13:48:20 -0000
Subject: With Love From Ghana Please Get Back.

With Love.

From: GHANA.

First and foremost I want to introduce myself to you. My names are Jose Steven and my younger sister Hawa Steven, from Congo Republic, My consignments contains $ 10,500,000.00 and some quantities of Gold and Diamond, which I cannot specify.

The consignments are presently in the States. The consignments got to States through the help of a Diplomat from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Diplomat Lucas Kosbi. The fact is that Diplomat Lucas Kosbi was supposed to have delivered the consignments to a man called Dr. William Glasser in USA.

Thesame week Diplomat Lucas Kosbi was supposed to make the delivery of the consignments to him, he got to the States after clearing the consignments from the Airport and called Dr. William Glasser to ask him for the description to his house from the Airport but his wife answered the call and told the diplomat that her husband, Dr. William Glasser had a fatal car accident which led to his death some few hours ago. Dr. William Glasser had already paid the demurrage to the security company, he also paid for both a Bullion van that took the consignment to the Airport and for custom check report, he also assisted us in getting the DRUG / ANTI TERRORIST CERTIFICATE, which was so expensive that he spent 25 thousand dollars to acquire it but unfortunately he died in a car accident, that was why Diplomat Lucas Kosbi deposited the consignment in a warehouse over there in States and informed us about what had happened.

Please I and my little sister seek for your help to get in contact with the Diplomat.

Please when you call him you will tell him that you are calling in respect of Jose Steven's consignment that is in the States.

If Diplomat Lucas Kosbi ask you if you have discussed with me tell him that you just discussed with us and Please do not let him know that we have funds in the boxes because we declared to him that the contents of the boxes are family belongings.

Please Contact Diplomat Lucas Kosbi on time and get back to me through mail.

We await your prompt response.

Thanks and God bless you.

Jose Steven and Hawa Steven.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam