419 scam: "Umar Ben" <wed127@att.net> PLEASE I NEED YOUR HELP

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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:
- "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)
- "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Umar Ben" <wed127@att.net>
Reply-To: <umarben7@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 05:00:27 -0800
Subject: PLEASE I NEED YOUR HELP

Dear Sir,

Is my pleasure for writing you this letter, hope you are fine? I want to use
this opportunity to introduce myself well to you, I am Ben Umar, The son of
a late Chief Agyman Umar of D R CONGO, I came to know you in the course of
my search for a reliable and God fearing partner and I decide to contact you
because I believe you are a reputable person and I felt you can help us over
this confidential matter.I count on your integrity and honesty to be able to
handle this business. I have a trunk box that contain $6.5million U.S
DOLLARS which is already in Dubai with a diplomatic shipping agent .
We are ready to give you 30% from the total money because that was the
initial agreement we have with my later father partner, Mr Anas Zaid,
the consignment is right now in the UAE, my Late father business partner
Mr Anas Zaid, who was suppose to receive this consignment containing the money
could not be located at the long run. We have been trying to reach him for
the past three days since the consignment arrive at Dubai, But there is no
response and we don't really know what happen to her so we need your help to
receive this consignment on behalf of me and my mother. Please be honest to us we
are counting on you,
The director of the shipping company just inform us yesterday that if we can
not provide our partner within this period of time, that
the consignment we be return back to GHANA, so we need you to stand as my
family trustee to receive the consignment in Dubai. If you are willing to
help us receive this consignment, all you just have to do is to contact the
shipping company here in Ghana so that they can give you instruction to
their agent holding the consignment in Dubai.
If not for God they would have return the consignment back to Africa but God
has been helping us. Please reply my mail so that I can give you the
contact of the shipping company to discuss with them on the release of this
consignment to you .
Please i will like you to send me your identity , address and phone number ,
so we can know you better.

Regards,
Ben Umar
For the family.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam