419 scam: "Owen Clarke"<email@owen.org> PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL

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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:
- "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "huge sum of money" (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)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- owenclarke274@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Owen Clarke" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <owenclarke274@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:07:31 -0400
Subject: PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL

Attention,

Dear Partner

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL

My name is Owen Clarke, I am the credit manager in a bank here in the West Africa. I am contacting you of a business transfer, of a huge sum of money from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that everything has been well taken care off, and all will be well at the end of the day. I decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction.To ease your apprehension, I got your contact from the British chambers of commerce and industry, foreign trade division. PROPOSITION; I am the account officer of a foreigner named Gerald Welsh who died in an air crash along with his wife on the 31st October 1999 in an Egyptian airline 990 with other passengers on board. You can confirm this from the website below which was published by CNN.WEBSITE. http://www.cnn.com/US/9911/02/egyptair990.list/index.html Since his death, none of his next-of-kin are alive to make claims for this money a!
s his heir, because they all died

Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual business endeavor by furnishing me with the following information if you are interested.

1.A Beneficiary name.In order for me to prepare the PAPER WORK for transfer of the funds in your name.
2.Details particulars of your contact address.
3. Direct Telephone and fax numbers;for our personal contact.

I shall be compensating you with 25% of the total sum on final conclusion of this project for your assistance, as I have also thought of doling out 5% to charity organization from your locality based on your recommendation another 5% for the services of the lawyer while the balance 65% shall be for me for investment purposes in your country as i cannot bring back this cash to my country. If this proposal is acceptable by you, please endeavor to contact me immediately.

Do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you by informing you of this transaction from my bank as I will advise you to kindly desist from responding at all if you do NOT intend to render any assistance. Endeavor to respond via my private email address: owenclarke274@yahoo.com

Thanks and best regards,
OWEN CLARKE

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam