419 scam: "Gerald Muana" <gmuana@y7mail.com> Urgent need of Your Assistance.

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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:
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +22508291732 (Cote d'Ivoire, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Gerald Muana" <gmuana@y7mail.com>
Reply-To: gerald_muana33@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2011 13:33:06 -0500
Subject: Urgent need of Your Assistance.

From Gerald and Linda Muana
Residence ST'Camile,
Avenu 12 Reu 47 Abidjan
Republic of Cote d'Ivoire

Dear ,
Our sincere Greetings to you, I know that this mail will come to you as a
surprise but please it was borne out of a desperate need for assistance so
please permit me to inform you of my heart desire for a business
relationship with you.I am Gerald Muana the only son of late Mr.Johnson
Kallon Muana from Sierra Leone. I got your contact from the Information
Center in Abidjan,Cote d'Ivoire here. My source of your contact gave me
the courage and confidence to rely on you. I am writing you in absolute
confidence primarily to seek your assistance to transfer the amount of
Eight Million five hundred thousand United States dollars(US$8.500,000.00)
now in the custody of a BANK here in Abidjan to your private account in
your country and for you to help me and my sister to get our papers to
come over to your country for upward investment of the money in good
business venture which you will serve as an overseer and for the
continuation of our education.

Iam 19 years old and my sister Linda is 16. Our late father Mr.Johnson
Kallon Muana was before his death a diamond and precious stone merchant in
our country Sierra Leone. He was killed during the civil war in my
country by the forces loyal to the Government on the allegations that he
was sponsoring the rebels. this caused us to run to cote d'ivoire with our
late mother. But on getting to cote d'ivoire our mother developed a heart
ailment which claimed her life. but before she died she gave me the
documents of the money which our late father deposited in a bank here in
cote d'ivoire. which is ($m8.500,000.00) She told us that our late father
reached an agreement with the bank that the money is for onward transfer
to a foreign account and entered my name his only son as the next of kin.
She pleaded that I should look for a good and trust worthy person abroad
who will help me to transfer this money out of here and help me and my
sister to come over to his or her country to continue our education and
investment of the money.

I have visited the bank and met the director who assured me that the money
is intact and that once I submits the details of the foreign partner in
whose account the money will be transfered to, that the bank will commence
the transfer proceedings immediately. that is the reason I contacted you
so that I could present you to the bank as my late father's foreign
business partner so that the money could be transfered to your account.

So please Iam seeking for your assistance to transfer this money out of
here so that I and my sister could have a new life because we are
suffering a lot here.FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE I BEG TO CONCEDE 20% OF THIS
MONEY TO YOU.

You can reach us on this phone number: +225-08-29-17-32 for more
explanations.

God bless you as I await your reply.

Yours sincerely,
Gerald and Linda Muana

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam