419 scam: "Edwin Maxwell"<info@finance.org> GOOD DAY

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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:
- "trunk box" (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)
- "trunk boxes" (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)
- "million united states 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)
- "contact the diplomat" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "liberia" (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.

Fraud email example:

From: "Edwin Maxwell" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <edwinmaxwell2010@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 02:53:18 -0400
Subject: GOOD DAY

Hello ,

How are you today,i hope you are fine? I am Edwin Maxwell the son of the late Minister of Finance in Liberia,i am 19 years of age and presently at the refugee camp in Ghana,i am contacting you in respect of my two trunk boxes which is already in your country with the diplomat,the foreign beneficiary who was suppose to receive the trunk boxes for me was so greedy asking for 60% which we agreed on 25% before the boxes left Ghana for your country.

I had to stop to the delivery of the boxes to him,please i am contacting you to help me receive my two trunk boxes because i have mapped out 35% for you.

I want to inform you that the diplomat has been there for days now waiting to hear from my foreign beneficiary to carry out the delivery to and the content of my two consignment boxes is Money $25,000.000.00 ( Twenty Five Million United States Dollars ) which i will like to invest in a profitable business.I will like to invest part of the money into these three investment but, if there is any other business that is better than what I am suggesting,I will be very glad to follow your advice.

(1). Real estate.(2). The transport industry.(3). Hotel managements.

I want you to know that the diplomat does not know the true content of the boxes is containing money so please when contacting him for the delivery to you don't tell him about the content.

I want you to know also that i have paid for the delivery charges which is $8,500.00 ( Eight Thousand Five Hundred United States Dollars ) all you have to do is contact the diplomat.Please help me by receiving the boxes,for as soon as you receive them i will be coming over to join you,so we can start the investment together and i will start living a good life again.

Please kindly send me your direct telephone number so i can call you.Get back to me so i can give you the contact of the diplomat.

Thanks and GOD'S Blessings,
Edwin Maxwell.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam