419 scam: "Addo B.Thompson"<zmangin@purdue.edu> Addo B.Thompson

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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:

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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "the 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)
- "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)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- brucethompson10@aol.com (AOL; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <thomp5on.bruce@yandex.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2021 06:19:38 -0800
Subject: Addo B.Thompson

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Mr.Addo B.Thompson. Residing in Accra-Ghana, I am of age 28 and the son to late chief Nana Adanike, late chief Nana Adnaike. Sir is contacting you presently from Ghana International Airport where I have a gold consignment belonging to my late father to be delivered to his partner in UK before he die. Several attempts have been made by me to contact him all this while, but all has been in vain.

I need a foreign partner to assist me in receiving the gold consignment which will be conveyed by a delivery agent for security reason based on the content of the gold bar consignment. You will be the legal recipient of the consignment.

Kindly get back to me as soon as you receive this message it is very urgent you do so because I needed this urgent the airport security manager call me and informed me is very important I move out the gold box out as my father told me to not invest this gold in Africa.

QUANTITY ............450 KG .
QUALITY ................22 CARAT.
PURITY .................92%

get back immediately so I explain everything to you in details.(brucethompson10@aol.com) The Attachment is the gold box and deposit certificate.

I wait to hear from you,

Regards,
Mr. Addo B.Thompson,

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam