419 scam: "MR CHARLES AMPOFO"<ampofocharles2@yahoo.com> Greetings to You

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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:
- "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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "my names are " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "MR CHARLES AMPOFO" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ampofo43@sify.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:01:47 +0100
Subject: Greetings to You

Greetings to You

My names are Charles Ampofo, Head of Corporate Affairs Department with

Amalgamated Bank Ghana Ltd and account officer to late Mathew L

Tallman. I want to make a proposal of business transaction value sum

of $35,000,000.00. (Thirty Five Million Dollars only) only in my

branch if you can cooperate. This money belongs to Late Matthew L.

Tallman, a young American army who also owned a pharmaceutical company

here in Ghana. Unfortunately he lost his life in the helicopter crash

on their mission for operation Iraqi Freedom on August 22, 2007.For

your perusal; I want you to check this

(www.militarycity.com/valor/2990729.html).

I now seek your Cooperation and support to have you stand in as a

next of kin to the late deceased, so that we shall claim and share the

money between us %60 for me and %40 for you. All documentations will

be carefully and legally worked out for the release of this money.

I need to know if you will be able to handle this with me before I

explain to you in details how we can proceed. Look forward to

discussing this opportunity further with you in more detail shortly.

Sincerely,

Mr. Charles Ampofo

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam