419 scam: "Charles Inkoom"<charleshfcgh@gmail.com> Let's work this out asap.

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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:
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "to your nominated bank 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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
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.
- charles_hfc@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Charles Inkoom" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <charles_hfc@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 12:20:40 -0800
Subject: Let's work this out asap.

>From ;Mr.Charles Inkoom
HFC Bank
Accra Ghana

My greetings of the day to you,

I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise as we never met before.I am aware that this is certainly an unconventional approach to Starting a business relationship but I believe knowing each other starts from a step of which I believe I am not making a mistake exposing this very important business deal to you, it is my urgent need for a foreign partner that has caused me to send this to you. I apologized if you find this intrusive, but there is an opportunity for both of us to work together and make clean money that is left over for nobody to claim.

Firstly, let me start by identifying myself, My name is Mr. Charles Inkoom,in charge of Accounting and Auditing Unit of HFC Bank in Accra-Ghana. I am writing to solicit your assistance in the transfer of Nine million Euros belonging to one of my foreign client who died some years ago without a Will or a Next of Kin to claim the said funds, since his death the account has been dormant and according to the Ghanaian banking law and procedures which states that any account abandoned or dormant for a period of some years is subjected to be closed and all money contained therein will be forfeited to the Government Treasury as "Unclaimed Bills".

As an officer of the bank, I cannot be directly connected to this money thus I am impelled to request for your assistance to receive this money into your bank account as the next of kin to the deceased. I intend to give 45% of this fund to you while 50% shall be for me and the balance of 5% to be used to cover any expenses. I do need to stress that there are practically no risk involved in this. It is going to be a bank-to-bank transfer to your nominated bank account anywhere of your choice. All I need from you is to stand as the beneficiary of this fund by sending your account details for the immediate transfer of the fund to the account. If you accept this offer, I will appreciate your timely response so that we can proceed with the transfer immediately.

Waiting for your urgent reply confidentially at my Private email id (charles_hfc@yahoo.com)

Regards,

Mr. Charles Inkoom

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam