419 scam: ben mensah <ben1994mensah@msn.com> From Mr.Ben Mensar

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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand 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)
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
This email message is a next of kin scam.
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.
- ben1960mensah@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: ben mensah <ben1994mensah@msn.com>
Reply-To: <ben1960mensah@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2012 11:08:48 +0000
Subject: From Mr.Ben Mensar

>From Mr.Ben Mensar,
Bill and Exchange Manager,
GHANA COMMERCIAL BANK (GH) LTD. (I.C.B)
ACCRA GHANA.

VERY CONFIDENTIAL.

Dear Friend,

I must say sorry for interfering into your privacy without seeking for
permission. It's because of urgency of this matter.

Firstly, I am the Manager of Bill and Exchange at the Foreign Remittance
Department of GHANA COMMERCIAL BANK (I.C.B)

In my department I discovered an abandoned sum of $ 22.7m USA Dollars (Twenty
Two Million Seven Hundred Thousand US dollars). In an account that belongs to
one of our foreign customer who died along with his entire family in 6th
December 2011 in Libya Crisis.

Since we got the information about his death, we have been expecting his next
of kin to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless
somebody applies for as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated
in our banking guidelines but unfortunately we learnt that all his supposed next
of kin or relation died alongside with him at the Libya Crisis leaving nobody
behind for the claim.

It is therefore upon this discovery that I now decided to make this business
proposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or Business
partner to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is
coming for it and I don't want this money to go into the Bank treasury as
unclaimed Bill.

In our Banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money remained
unclaimed after two years an above, the money will be transferred into the
Bank treasury as unclaimed fund.

The request of foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the
fact that the customer was a foreigner and a Real Libya Person cannot stand as
next of kin to a foreigner.

I agree that 35 % of this money will be for you as foreign partner, in respect
to the provision of a foreign account While 5 % will be set aside for any
expenses incurred during the business and 60 % would be for me.

Upon receipt of your reply, I will give you full details on how the business
will be executed, and I will not fail to bring to your notice that this
transaction is hitch free and that you should no entertain any atom of fear as
all required arrangements have been made for the transfer.

(Contact Me with this Email.(ben1960mensah@gmail.com)

You should contact me immediately as soon as you receive this letter.

I am urgently waiting to hear from you.

Yours faithfully,

Mr.Ben Mensar.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam