419 scam: "Mrs. Ruth Benson" <ruth.benson0@gmail.com> Greetings from Mrs Ruth Benson

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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:
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
This email message is a "dying widow" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Ruth Benson" <ruth.benson0@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrsruthbenson02@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2017 10:50:25 +0000
Subject: Greetings from Mrs Ruth Benson

Greetings From Mrs. Ruth Benson,
With due Respect and Humanity I write to donate and hand over some
fund to you for charity work for community development (Like: Building
home for the old aged, Orphanage Homes, taking care of the widows in
the community etc), I am Mrs. Ruth Benson from Kuwait base in Ivory
Coast, I have been diagnosed of cancer a few years ago immediately
after the death of my husband who left me everything he had worked for
here in ivory coast, I am married to Late Mr. Jean Benson who was
until his death worked with Oil Company (PETROCI) Cote dâ€™Ivoire; we
were married for many years without a child. I am now very sick, after
going through some medical checkup my doctor told me that my condition
is very critical due to Colon Cancer that I should pray hard.

When my husband was alive, He deposited the sum of (US$2.8M) Two
million eight hundred thousand dollars deposited in a Finance Security
firm here in Abidjan, Ivory Coast capital. Presently this money is
still in the Vault of the firm. Having known my condition I decided to
donate this money to any volunteer person, Individual, NGOs, and
Government Organizations, that will use this fund for the charity
purpose I mentioned above.

Though I don't know you or met you before but I believe that God will
work through you in accomplishing his will. I want you to always
remember me in your daily prayers because of my upcoming Cancer
Surgery.

As soon as I receive your massage in acceptance of working with this
charities mention above, I will give you more details and the contact
of the Finance Security firm here in Abidjan Ivory Coast. Please
assure me that you will act accordingly as I have Stated herein.
Expecting to receive your re-assuring reply.

Remain blessed in the Lord.
Yours Sister,
Mrs. Ruth Benson.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam