419 scam: "osyduru@yahoo.com" <osyduru@yahoo.com> Highly Beneficial Business

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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.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "escrow account with no beneficiary" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million 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)
- "there are practically no risks involved" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
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.
- mr_lawrencenewton@mail2africa.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "osyduru@yahoo.com" <osyduru@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2011 16:43:04 -0000
Subject: Highly Beneficial Business

My name is Mr. Lawrence Adu-Mante.

I am the Regional Manager of Ghana commercial Bank, [G.C.B] Accra branch Ghana. I write you this proposal in good faith; I am a man of peace, and I have sincere respect for human feelings and opinions. I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit you and I. As the Regional Manager of Ghana Commercial Bank [G.C.B], it is my duty to send in financial report to my head office in the capital city, Accra at the end of each business year. On the course of last year, 2010 business report, I discovered that the bank's branch that i manage made Six Million five hundred and fifty thousand United States Dollars; I kept this away from the Head office and irrelevant personnel for the success of my motive. I have placed this fund in an Escrow account with no beneficiary. But as an officer of this bank I cannot be directly connected to this money, so I have considered and decided to contact you for assistance in transferring this sum into your bank account as the new legal beneficiary of the account bearing th

I believe I have taken the ideal step of securing the funds in the said Escrow account, It is left for you to act with my directions and we’ll be 6.55 Million dollars richer in 15 working days and I am willing to offer you up to 40% of the entire sum on the fulfilment of your part in the process. There are practically no risks involved, the transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law, it will simply be a bank to bank transfer. Immediately I hear from you, we will proceed to contacting the barrister for the preparation of all necessary legal documentations, and if all arrangements are finalized, Transfer can be done under few working days.

I need your help in this risk free enterprise; you have absolutely nothing to lose.

I wait for your reply.

Sincerely,

Mr. Lawrence Newton Adu-Mante,
(mr_lawrencenewton@mail2africa.com),

Ghana Commercial Bank [G.C.B] ,

Accra, Ghana.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam