419 scam: "Alex Owusu"<owusualex201@gmail.com> FROM STANDARD CHARTERED BANK, Ghana.

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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million united states 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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "there are practically no risks involved" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
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.
- alex.owusu61@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Alex Owusu" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <alex.owusu61@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2018 13:11:06 -0000
Subject: FROM STANDARD CHARTERED BANK, Ghana.

FROM STANDARD CHARTERED BANK, Ghana.

Dear Friend.

My name is Alex Owusu,I am the Regional Manager of Standard Chartered Bank of Ghana,an Affiliate of STANDARD CHARTERED BANK, UNITED KINGDOM.

I write you this proposal in good faith.

I am a man of peace, and have sincere respect for human feelings and opinions. I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit you and me.

As the Regional Manager of Ghana West Africa Bank, it is my duty to send in a financial report to my head office in the capital city, United Kingdom at the end of each business year.

On the course of years 2012 business report, I discovered that the branch in which I am the Manager made 24million United States Dollars ($24, 000,000.00) which my head office is not aware of and will never be aware so i have placed this funds on what we call Escrow call account with no beneficiary. As an officer of this bank I cannot be directly connected to this money, so my aim of contacting you is to assist me receive this money in your bank account and get 30% of the total funds as commission.

There are practically no risks involved, the transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law, it will be simply a bank-to-bank transfer,all documents backing this transaction are intact and all I need from you is to stand claim as the original depositor of these funds who made the deposit with my branch so that my head office can order the transfer to your designated bank account under few working days. If you accept to work with me I will appreciate it very much as you are the first and the only person I am contacting for this transaction.If you are interested kindly contact us with via Email:alex.owusu61@yahoo.com for more details.

Send me an email as soon as you receive this message if you think that we can go over this.

Thank you.
Alex Owusu.
+233232639137

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam