419 scam: "PUBLISHERS CLEARING HOUSE" <info@pch.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:

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:
- "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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "i will advice you " (this email uses bad English)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
This email message is a "dying merchant" 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.
- joebenson1124@aol.com (AOL; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "PUBLISHERS CLEARING HOUSE" <info@pch.com>
Reply-To: pch_noitce@geeks.ms
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2011 17:19:55 -0500 (PET)
Subject: Greetings.

Greetings.

Good day and God bless you. I

feel quite safe and satisfy

dealing with you in this

charity project.Though, this

medium (Internet) has been

greatly abused, I choose to

reach you through it because it

still remains the fastest,

surest and most secured medium

of communication. However, this

correspondence is purely

private, and it should be

treated as such.

My name is MRS LILIAN JONES ,

a merchant in Dubai, in the

U.A.E. I have been diagnosed

with Esophageal cancer . It has

defiled all forms of medical

treatment, and right now I have

only about a few months to

live, according to medical

experts.

Though I am very rich, I was

never generous, Now that God

has called me, I have willed

and given most of my property

and assets to my immediate and

extended family members as well

as a few close friends.I want

God to be merciful to me and

accept my soul so, I have

decided to give aims to charity

organizations, as I want this

to be one of the last good

deeds I do on earth. So far, I

have distributed money to some

charity organizations in the

U.A.E, Algeria and Malaysia.

Now that my health has

deteriorated so badly, I cannot

do this myself anymore. I once

asked members of my family to

close one of my accounts and

distribute the money which I

have there to charity

organization in Bulgaria and

Pakistan, they refused and kept

the money to themselves. Hence,

I do not trust them anymore, as

they seem not to be contended

with what I have left for them.

The last of my money which no

one knows of is the huge cash

deposit of TWELVE MILLION

DOLLARS $12,000,000,that I have

with a finance/Security Company

abroad. I will want you to help

me collect this deposit and

dispatched it to charity

organizations.

I have set aside 25% for you

and for your time if you want

to help me to collect this

Funds and also invest this

money.

N.B-PLEASE I WILL ADVICE YOU TO

CONTACT THE ATTORNEY IN

NETHERLANDS IMMEDIATELY, HE

DOES EVERYTHING ON MY BEHALF

AND HE'S VERY UNDERSTANDING AND

I BELIEVE HE WILL LEAD YOU TO

YOUR SUCCESS IN JESUS NAME

AMEN.

Name: BARRISTER.JOE BENSON

Email: joebenson1124@aol.com

Remain blessed in the name of

the Lord.

Yours in Christ,

Mrs Lilian Jones

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam