419 scam: "Michael James" <file22.office@yahoo.com.ph> I NEED YOUR GOOD ADVICE AND 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:

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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
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.
- +22998138877 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- jamesmichael411@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Michael James" <file22.office@yahoo.com.ph>
Reply-To: jamesmichael411@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2012 00:16:49 +0600 (BDT)
Subject: I NEED YOUR GOOD ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE

--

Dear Sir/Madam

I am very sorry trying to trouble you in this my time of need.I am Michael
James,the only son of Mrs. Princess Grace James,who was the second wife of
Mr. Baba I James,an INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS DISTRIBUTOR,CRUDE OIL
MARKETER here in Benin-Cotonou.

I am from East side of Benin in Africa,but presently schooling at the
university of Benin, I am a 3rd year Medical student,I am 24 years old.My
mother was married to my father on the 6th day of May 1998,providentially
Gave birth to me and regretably no female child.My mother died when I was
2 years old, she died with her unborn baby when she was delivering her 2nd
child and my Dad died last 6 month after terrible attack from long time
Cancer, which dealth with him for numerous years and lastly killed him
last 6 month after prescription.

Before My Dad death,he called his second wife and me with his personal
attorney and gave me some of his wealth for my endurance and the rest was
given to my stepmother because my Dad's special doctor has told him in
advance that he will not live for the next 5 days. Immediately after the
mourning of my Dad, My step mother and my Dad's Personal Attorney unite
together and distorted almost all the documents that was given to me by my
Dad for my durable continued existence. They change the documents to the
name of her two sons. Now, the one that makes me to bluder and run away
from my dad's house is the deposit certificate,which was issued to my dad
on the day he deposited the sum of $10,500.000.00 united state Dollars
including 25kg of Alluvial Gold Dust(Ten million Five Hundred Thousand
united state dollars) on the 28th day of September 2004 in a security
company. My dad personally gave the deposit certificate to me in the
presence of my step mother and his personal attorney, they are now trying
to take away from me the deposit certificate which is the only paper among
the documents that was particular given to me for my survival.

She is doing all these things to me because of her position in the
administration. Before my Dad died, he called me confidentially and told
me not to mishandle this $10,500.000.00 united state dollars (Ten million
Five Hundred Thousand united state dollars only) because I don't have any
other person who will continue to take care of me in the prospect. He
hence advised me to search for a God fearing person who will aid me to
claim this money as soon as I graduate from the University. But as things
stands now, I necessitate to claim this money before my stepmother get
hold of the deposit official document from me and claim the money.
Currently, I need your help. I want you to stand as the receiver of this
deposited money so that the security company will release the money to you
and then you will deposit the money in your personal account there in your
country so that I will have some money back from the whole amount and find
a way out to your country, because if I continue to hang around here, she
might deceid to slay me just to have the deposit certificate. If you can
help me to save this money in your custody without betraying me, then I
can abscond the whole amount of money for you so that you can invest it
into business, but that can be under the condition that you would take 25%
of the amount for participating in this project bearing in mind that you
would assist me relocate to your country to invest my own share of the
project with your full guidance and also 5% will be mapped out to offset
any expences that you may incur during your assistance.

If you are contented with these states of affairs, you can contact me
back. But if you are not happy with these state of affairs please inform
me so that I can straight away search for another person for the
assistance.

Please you can call me via my mobile number, +229 9813 8877 or reply
through my private email address, jamesmichael411@gmail.com

Waiting for your prompt response

Thanks and God bless.

Yours

Michael James

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