419 scam: "BEN S. BERNANKE" <webmaster@hrdf.com.my> DEAR BENEFICIARY

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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:
- "consignment " (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)
- "million 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)
- "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- +22998409986 (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.
- diplomatthomasneleson@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "BEN S. BERNANKE" <webmaster@hrdf.com.my>
Reply-To: <DIPLOMATTHOMASNELESON@YAHOO.COM>
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2013 01:25:31 +0100
Subject: DEAR BENEFICIARY

DEAR BENEFICIARY,

EMAIL AND CALL DIPLOMAT MR. THOMAS NELSON WITH THIS EMAIL(DIPLOMATTHOMASNELESON@YAHOO.COM) AND PHONE#917-965-8941 HE JUST ARRIVED AT JOHN F. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIR-PORT NEW YORK CITY WITH YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX THAT CONTAINED YOUR $9.2 MILLION (NINE POINT TWO MILLION DOLLARS, RECONFIRM TO HIM)

YOUR FULL NAME=======
YOUR COUNTRY===========
YOUR ADDRESS===========
TELEPHONE======
YOUR NEAREST AIRPORT======

HE IS WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU WITH THE ABOVE INFORMATION'S SO HE CAN DELIVER YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX TO YOU.

REGARDS
Director BEN S. BERNANKE
Shallon Courier Company Benin
MY PHONE:+229 98409986

Note:
This message is for the named person's use only. It may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any mistransmission. If you receive this message in error, please immediately delete it and all copies of it from your system, destroy any hard copies of it and notify the sender. You must not, directly or indirectly, use, disclose, distribute, print, or copy any part of this message if you are not the intended recipient. Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (PSMB) reserves the right to monitor all e-mail communications through its networks.
Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, except where the message states otherwise and the sender is authorized to state them to be the views of any such entity.

Thank You.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam