419 scam: "Ambassador Lana Marks" <info@usa.org> Greeting From Ambassador Lana Marks

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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:
- "registration fee" (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. )
- "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
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.
- +27735515572 (South Africa, 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.
- officialoffice245@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Ambassador Lana Marks" <info@usa.org>
Reply-To: officialoffice245@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 05 Apr 2021 15:08:50 +0100
Subject: Greeting From Ambassador Lana Marks

Greeting From Ambassador Lana Marks
Ambassador of the United States to South Africa
877 Pretorius St, Arcadia, Pretoria, 0083, South Africa
Telephone: +27 73 551 5572
Private Email: officialoffice245@gmail.com

Dear Beneficiary,

I shall be coming to your country for an official meeting on Thursday 8th, April 2021 and i shall be bringing your ATM Master Card containing $10.5m along with me but this time i will not go through Custom because as an Ambassador to FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, I am a US GOVERNMENT AGENT and i have the veto power to go through Custom. As soon as i am through with my meeting i shall then proceed to your registered house address with your ATM Master Card.

Without missing words, I am convinced 100% that you have had bitter experience with various scam claiming to be high government officials and thereby defrauding you of your 'hard-earned money'. The activities of these scam has changed your perspective about conducting business on the internet, and you now believed there is no genuine business that can be conducted on the internet. Well, I am an American and the internet was created by Americans for the purpose of creating awareness for your products/services and conducting genuine business with ease. I am fully committed to deliver the "ATM Master Card" to you at your door step within 48hours as programmed.

I am a full citizen of the United States, but I was on a Foreign Mission here in South Africa as a US Ambassador. Hence, I am making every effort to ensure that no citizen of the United States and other part of the world is cheated. Therefore, I need your utmost support and understanding to actualize this dream. I also want you to understand that I do trust you and I expect you to show me the same trust and respect in return since trust is a 2-way street. On the other hand, trust is a relationship of reliance. Trust also means being able to predict what other people will do and what
situations will occur.

Trust is both an emotional and logical act. Emotionally, it is where you expose your vulnerabilities to people, but believing they will not take advantage of your openness. Logically, it is where you have assessed the probabilities of gain and loss, calculating expected utility based on hard performance data, and concluded that the person in question will behave in a predictable manner. In practice, trust is a bit of both. I trust you because I have experienced your trustworthiness by merely believing in what I have said, even when you have not seen me, and because I have faith in human nature.

Frankly speaking, I understand that anyone in your shoes will feel betrayed, but I still want you to show me your trust by giving me the benefit of doubt on this delivery arrangement. My identity and personality is verifiable, and I promise to deliver the ATM Master Card to you safely without any hitch. Your ATM Master Card ($10.5m) MUST BE REGISTERED AS AN AMBASSADORIAL PACKAGE as planned. Do not allow this mission to die off because of registration fees $455 US Dollars for the registration fee of your ATM Master Card, I meant so well for you and I believe you will appreciate me more when you have finally received your payment of $10.5m US Dollars upon my arrival with the package in your country.

I will use my position and personality to deposit the ATM Master Card worth $10.5m USD into your bank account without questioning from the financial monitoring authorities, since all documentations proving the legitimacy of the funds has been processed. Please don't see me as one of the numerous dubious Benin Republic or Nigeria you have dealt with in the past. I am a different person entirely and I come from a different continent. I have the American spirit in me and I hate cheaters. I promise to always uphold the national unity of the United State. Please reply back ASAP and let me know your possibility of sending the $455 US Dollars today.

Note: My Flight is Thursday 8th, April 2021 and i expect you to comply before time then so that the delivery will be completed. If you do not comply, then it will not be my fault if you do not receive your Package.

I hope you will understand and follow my instruction to enable me serve you better.

Signed

Ambassador Lana Marks
US AMBASSADOR TO REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
Private Email: officialoffice245@gmail.com
Telephone: +27 73 551 5572

Anti-fraud resources:

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