419 scam: "Benjamin Owusu"<benowusu009@sify.com> Your Urgent Assistance Is Neeeded

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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)
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.
- benowusu009@rediffmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Benjamin Owusu" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <benowusu009@rediffmail.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:39:15 -0800
Subject: Your Urgent Assistance Is Neeeded

From: Mr. Benjamin Owusu
The Manager International
Commercial Bank Ghana,
First Light Branch
Accra, Ghana.

Dear Friend,

I got your contact during my search for a reliable, honest and a trust worthy person to entrust this huge transfer project with. My name is Mr. Benjamin Owusu. I am the manager of the international commercial bank Ghana, Kaneshie First Light Branch Accra Ghana . I am a Ghanaian married with two kids.

I write to solicit your assistance in a funds transfer deal involving US$ 5.3 million. This fund has been stashed out of the excess profit made last year by my branch office of the International Commercial Bank of Ghana, which I am the manager. I have already submitted an approved end-of-the-year report for the year 2008 to my head office here in Accra-Ghana and they will never know of this excess. I have also since then, placed this fund on a Non-Investment Account without a beneficiary.

As an officer of the bank, I cannot be directly connected to this money thus I am impelled to request for your assistance to receive this money into your bank account. I will guide you on how to apply to my head office for the Account Closure/bank-to-bank remittance of this fund to your designated bank account. If you concur with this proposal, I intend for you to retain 30% of the funds while 70% shall be for me.

Kindly contact my private Email: (benowusu009@rediffmail.com) for more details on how we can achieve it successfully

sincerely,

Mr. Benjamin Owusu.
benowusu009@rediffmail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam