419 scam: "AMBASSADOR TERENCE P. MCCULLEY" <terencenmcculley96@hotmail.com> RE GOOD NEWS////

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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:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "mtcn" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "united state of america" (this email uses bad English)
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (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.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: "AMBASSADOR TERENCE P. MCCULLEY" <terencenmcculley96@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: terencemcculley96@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2012 08:12:38 -0500
Subject: RE GOOD NEWS////

GOOD NEWS!!!
US AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA
11 GARKI ROAD ABUJA
ABUJA, NIGERIA

ATTN:
MY NAME IS TERENCE PATRICK MCCULLEY, THE NEW UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR
TO THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA. THE UNITED STATES SENATE HAD
CONFIRMED MY NOMINATION ON AUGUST 5 2010, AFTER BEING NOMINATED FOR
THIS POSITION BY U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ON JUNE 28, 2010. MY
CREDENTIALS AS THE NEW AMBASSADOR APPOINTED WERE PRESENTED TO HIS
EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN AT THE PRESIDENTIAL VILLA
IN ABUJA, NIGERIA, ON NOVEMBER 2, 2010. I AM A CAREER MEMBER OF THE
SENIOR FOREIGN SERVICE WITH THE RANK OF MINISTER-COUNSELOR WHOSE
DIPLOMATIC CAREER HAS BEEN SPENT MOSTLY IN AFRICA OR WORKING ON AFRICA
ISSUES. I SERVED MOST RECENTLY AS THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION AT THE
U.S EMBASSY IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK. PRIOR TO THIS, I WAS THE U.S
AMBASSADOR TO MALI, AND I HAVE SERVED AS DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION AT
THE U.S EMBASSIES IN TUNISIA, SENEGAL AND TOGO. OTHER OVERSEAS
POSTINGS INCLUDES NIGER, SOUTH AFRICA, INDIA AND CHAD.
HOWEVER, FOLLOWING THE RESOLUTIONOF THE MEETING HELD WITH HIS
EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN AT THE PRESIDENTIAL VILLA
IN ABUJA YESTERDAY WITH SOME MEMBERS OF THE FEDERAL HOUSE OF SENATE, I
SHALL BE COMING TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR AN OFFICIAL MEETING ON THURSDAY
AND I WILL BE BRINGING YOUR FUNDS OF $15.5M ALONG WITH ME BUT THIS
TIME I WILL NOT GO THROUGH CUSTOMS BECAUSE AS AN AMBASSADOR TO
NIGERIA, I AM A US GOVERNMENT AGENT AND I HAVE THE VETO POWER TO GO
THROUGH CUSTOMS. AS SOON AS I AM THROUGH WITH THE MEETING I SHALL THEN
PROCEED TO YOUR ADDRESS. (SEND YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER AND THE ADDRESS
WHERE YOU WANT ME TO BRING THE PACKAGE).

YOU HAVE REALLY PAID SO MUCH IN THIS DELIVERY THAT MAKES ME WONDER.
YOU ARE A VERY LUCKY PERSON BECAUSE I SHALL BE BRINGING IT MYSELF AND
THERE IS NOTHING ANYONE CAN DO ABOUT IT.

YOUR PACKAGE($15.5M) MUST BE REGISTERED AS AN AMBASSADORIAL PACKAGE
FOR ME TO DEFEAT ALL ODDS AND THE COST OF REGISTERING IT IS $290 THE
FEE MUST BE PAID IN THE NEXT 50 HOURS VIA WESTERN UNION SO THAT ALL
NECCESSARY ARRANGEMENT CAN BE MADE BEFORE TIME WILL BE AGAINST US.

SEND THE FEE VIA WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER OR MONEY GRAM WITH THE
PAYMENT DETAILS BELOW:
SENDER'S NAME:........................
RECEIVER'S NAME: OGO BEN
ADDRESS: LAGOS, NIGERIA
TEXT QUESTION: GOD IS
ANSWER: GOOD
AMOUNT$290

MTCN..................................

AS SOON AS YOU SEND THE FEE MAKE SURE YOU SEND ME THE PAYMENT
INFORMATIONS FOR EASY PICKUP. MY FLIGHT IS FRIDAY AND I EXPECT YOU TO
COMPLY BEFORE THEN SO THAT THE DELIVERY CAN BE COMPLETED. IF YOU DO
NOT COMPLY, THEN IT WILL NOT BE MY FAULT IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE YOUR
PACKAGE.
OFFICIALLY SIGNED

AMBASSADOR TERENCE P. MCCULLEY
UNITED STATE OF AMERICA AMBASSADOR.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam