419 scam: "Steven Mahesh"<stmahesh2@rediffmail.com> Confidential Business Proposal

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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "diplomatic immunity"
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "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)
- "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)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "diplomatic immunity" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "diplomatic security company" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Steven Mahesh" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <stmahesh1@rediffmail.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 05:15:45 -0800
Subject: Confidential Business Proposal

Attention,

Before I proceed I must first apologize for this unsolicited letter to you, I am aware that this is certainly not a conventional way of approach to establish a relationship of trust, but you will realize the need for my action. My name is Steven Mahesh a LEGAL PRACTITIONERS & FINANCIAL SOLICITOR of SEED VEST associate Chambers in Accra Ghana. Actually, I got your contact information through the Ghanan chambers of commence and public records while searching for the relative of my late client Mr.Edmond Osandele, a business magnate from Sudan who son need a foreign beneficiary,I have been working for his late father for Fifteen years,fortunately died along with his family during the war catastrophe which occurred on Sunday 26 December 2008.

Before his death; he deposited One Trunk Box/Diplomatic Personal Valuables,containing the sum of $12.8M (TWELVE MILLION AND EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS and Gold) with a Financial Security company here in United State, but he did not disclose the content of deposited diplomatic consignment to the security company, for security reasons. The security company has mandated me to present any family heir/inheritor for claims but the son is too young that is why I have to look for someone to stand for him as a foreign beneficiary, before the consignment gets confiscated or reverts to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, as unclaimed diplomatic immunity.So I decided to search for any of my late client's relative to no avail, as he did not declare any other person, address, partner or relatives in the official paper works of his diplomatic consignment deposit, hence the need to contact you the son is 12 years of age and I can not stand for him because I was witness in time of depo!
sit.

Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you to stand as the next of kin to the late client son James,so that the diplomatic security company can have the consignment released to you. With your position and my position as the lawyer, I will now place your name as the next of kin to my late client son. I will obtain relevant documents that will assist your claims, and facilitate the release of the consignment.

Be assured that this transaction is 100% risk free, as all modalities to actualize the operation effectively are in place and the consignment once released to you will be shared in two equal halves; 50/50 ($ 6.4 Million) between you and Frank and for your information you are going to see that the young man go to school as the late father wanted for him in life as a medical doctor.

Kindly indicate your response to this letter via the above stated email, fax or telephone number for further clarifications. Also please be kind to get back to me, if you are not willing to work with me, so that I can further my search for another partner.

Respectfully,
Steven Mahesh (Esq.)
Principal Partner

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