419 scam: "Mr.Benjamin Labi" <benlabi11@gmail.com> Greetings,

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "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)
- "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)
- "deadline" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- bnjmnlabi029@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Benjamin Labi" <benlabi11@gmail.com>
Reply-To: benjalabi@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 04:35:57 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Greetings,

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Mr. Benjamin Labi, professional accountant and presently the director of currency operations in our Apex bank. I decided to contact you for a business relationship which shall be of great mutual benefits to two of us. I searched and got your contact/profile which attracts and convinces me that you are a foreign partner I can trust to have a business relationship with.

Recently, there was order from my government for immediate change of faces and domination's of our local currency notes. This is to checkmate fake currencies injected into our economy by some group of Chinese and Lebanese business men. A deadline was given to all citizens to pay in all the cash with them into their commercial banks to enable the central bank release its equivalents to the concerned commercial banks with the new currency notes already in circulation. Probably due to high rate of illiteracy in my country, many local business men/women did not comply with government orders/directives until after the deadline when they brought their out the currency note bills in their possession.

Unfortunately, the money is no longer considered as our legal tender, so it is now wasteful and useless. But all the money now considered waste have been brought to apex bank by commercial banks for destruction by burning in accordance with government directives. But I have included the total wasted value in my statement of account to the presidency to be among cash recovered and changed to the new currency notes. The total value in cash is(Fifty Five million US dollars only) after changing it to US dollar Bills in the black(Parallel) market.

For obvious reasons, I cannot spend this money here or place it in any commercial bank in my country to avoid suspicion, notice or exposure to my authorities, so with my influence and contacts, I succeeded in moving the money to a destination that would be disclosed to you later. It is my friend who works with International Monetary Fund(IMF) that quickly assisted me in moving the money out of my country to enable me have enough time to seek a trusted foreign partner who will receive the money on my behalf for safe keeping and investment.

As I said earlier, I am contacting you on trust to help me receive this money over there. I want to invest it over there in any good business you may advise on. I have agreed to give you 30% of the total money as your commission for helping me receive the money and your are expected to advice on how/where to invest the money.

In-fact I have concluded arrangements to make delivery of this money to you as it is contained cash in a bank save trunk box within 48hours after receiving your positive response.

Of course, I do not expect you to discuss this matter with any body no matter who the person is to you. It is a 100% risk free as you can already understand. For confidential reasons, reply me through this private email address:
bnjmnlabi029@gmail.com: and I shall get back to you with more details on the logistics.

Thanks & Best Regards,

Mr. Benjamin Labi.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam