419 scam: "Mr. Owusu." <email_samuel1@yahoo.ca> Re: Urgent

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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:

The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "money laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
- "million us dollars" (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)
- "hundred thousand us dollars" (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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Owusu." <email_samuel1@yahoo.ca>
Reply-To: info_abra@yahoo.ca
Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 16:30:36 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: Urgent

Good day,

I write you this proposal in good faith and hope that you will be of assistance. Am a banker here in Ghana. In 2000 Mr. Christian Goetz a German citizen and businessman, made a fixed deposit for 60 calendar months, valued at Fourteen Million, Six hundred Thousand US Dollars (US$14,600,000.00) with my bank. I was his account officer before I rose to the position of manager. The maturity date for this deposit contract was 20th of January 2005. I have tried my possible best to locate Mr. Goetz to notify him about this, but all my efforts proved abortive. I later discovered that Mr. Christian Goetz and his wife were involved in the plane crash of CONCORDE AIRLINE [Flight AF4590], which crashed on 25TH JULY 2000 in France. You shall read more news about the crash on visiting this site, which I got during my investigation;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm

Now, a new Financial Law, which takes effect in two month? time, here in Ghana stipulates that any bank account more than $5,000,000.00 [Five Million US Dollars] will be investigated and the bank shall produce the account owner for clearance. This is a Government measure to check money laundering. Since the account has no named beneficiary and I cannot directly connected to this money, is why am request for your assistance to receive this money into your bank account. There is no risk involved; Let me know how you wish us to share the money, so that both parties will be satisfied. We shall go over the details once I receive your urgent response and please, treat this as top secret. am the only person having this information.
Phone +233 24979O7l4.

Thanks,
Edward.

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