419 scam: Edward Matthews <ghahabhhanbgt@msn.com> Dear Friend,

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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "transfer into your account" (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)
- "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)
- "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: Edward Matthews <ghahabhhanbgt@msn.com>
Reply-To: <mrmatthewswill@yahoo.com.ph>
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:10:18 +0000
Subject: Dear Friend,

Mr.Edward Matthews.Global Finance Security Company.First Light, NorthKaneshie Industries Area,Accra Ghana.
Dear Friend,
How are you doing together with your entire family, I hope all is well with you and your family? Please carefully read and understand my reason of contacting you through this email.
I'm contacting you during my search for a reliable, trustworthy and honest person to introduce this transfer Investment project with,My name is Mr.Edward Matthews.
On July 2011, One Mr.Hussein Omar from Libya National,an gold dealer. who runs gold business in my country Ghana to Asia, whom i was accounting officer made a numbered time Deposit 1 Trunk Box, valued at USD$12.2Millon ( Twelve million Two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) for eleven calendar months in our company,While, I am the Chief Security Officer of the Global Security Company, Accra-Ghana.
I am a Ghanaian, I will be glad to hear you are from such good country to invest this money thanks.
Upon Maturity, we sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered that Mr. Hussein Omar from Libya, with his wife and two children/parents was died with his family in a blast in Libya.
My investigation proved that he died with his supposed next- of- kin in the same blast. The Trunk box total sum, USD$12.200,000.00is still in our Company and the dumorage is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each Month. No one will ever come forward to claim it.
Consequently, I shall present you to stand in as the next- of- kin to the late Mr.Hussein Omar. Consequently, upon acceptance of thisproposal, I will give you detailed information on how this deal would be carried out.
The money will be shared in the ratio: (65%) for me, (30%) for you, the remaining (5%) will be kept to recover any expenses made during the process of the transfer into your account which include both our telephone bills. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law as I will use my position as the Chief Security of OPERATIONS' OFFICER'S to secure approvals and guarantee the successful execution of this transaction.
I want you to handle everything for me. I have the trust in you and i know that you will not disappoint me, i don't need to know you formany years to trust you.
If you have an idea of what should be done to being the money out of Africa, please tell me i need your seriously and i have the impression that you are a nice gentle person. Please be inform that your utmost confidentiality is required. On your reply,kindly send your contact information bellow.
(1)Your names...................(2)Your telephone number....................(3)Your Age.......................(4)Your House address or Office address .........
Best regards,Mr.Edward Matthews.

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