419 scam: "Edward Chang"<barrred@hotmail.com> URGENT ASSISTANCE NEEDED.

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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)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Edward Chang" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barrisedchng@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 14:15:53 +0700
Subject: URGENT ASSISTANCE NEEDED.

FROM: EDWARD CHANG.
EDWARD-CHANG AND ASSOCIATE,
PUBLIC NOTARY,SOLICITORS & ADVOCATE.
BANGKOK THAILAND.

I am Edward Chang,an attorney at law and i would love to share with you a very important business proposition that will be of mutual benefit to both of us.

A deceased client of mine, that shares the same last name as yours, who here in after shall be referred to as my late client, died as the result of a heart-related condition.
His heart condition was due to the death of all the members of his family in the tsunami disaster on the 26th December 2004 while on their holiday in Phuket Thailand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake

My late Client has a deposit of Sixteen Million Four Hundred Thousand Dollars (US$16.4 Million Dollars) left behind, I promise to give you 40% of the total funds transferred to your
vital bank account as compensation for your assistance. I wait to receive your name,address,tel&fax#

Best Regards,

Edward Chang
Attorney at Law.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam