419 scam: "MISS EMEKA IZUABUEKE"<emekaizuabuekee1@gmail.com> Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.

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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:
- "western union" (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. )
- "a security company " (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. )
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million us 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)
- "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: "MISS EMEKA IZUABUEKE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <emekaizuabuekee@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 02:53:54 +0100
Subject: Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.

Good day,

I am sure this letter will come to you as a surprise because I who am the writer have not in any way come in close contact with you except that my search for a good and reliable person I could confined on. However, scam mails which people send to various individuals and companies on the internet have also made it so impossible for one to do business reliably with other internet users all over the world. I solicit and hope that this letter will not be considered of treated like one of those letters

My name is Miss Emeka Izuabueke, the junior sister to the body guide of Charles Taylor; ex president and former war lord of Liberia, when he was in Nigeria. You can recall that Mr. Charles Taylor was arrested at the boarders between Nigeria and Cameroon when he was running away from the law. He is presently been tried by the war crime court for crimes against his people and the people of Sierra Leon in the 14years war that disrupted his country and the West African Sub region.

After his arrest, my brother his former body guides found in Mr. Taylor's bedroom a briefcases containing 1.5 million US dollars respectively. He kept these briefcases in a security company in Nigeria waiting for the time all eyes will be off him as someone associated with Mr. Taylor before he will move the briefcases out of Nigeria.

Because he has travel restriction pending the time the case against his former boss will be over, he sent me to take the briefcases to Ghana and find a way to get the money out of Africa.
On my arrival here I spent a lot of money at the boarders because I didn't want the briefcases to be opened. A military man on a border patrol eventually got pity on me and helped me to pay 140 Ghana Cedes ($100) to get the briefcase from the customs. I told him I came to look for an investor and what I have in the briefcases are important business documents which I want to show to an investor here in Ghana.

After praying and my search for a good and reliable person I could confined on, God opened my eye to choose you. My money is in a briefcase, not in a box. The money in the briefcase was counted by me just last weekend and they are ok and ready for use. I just need 140 Ghana Cedes which is equivalent to $100 to pay the military man who helped me settled the customs before he release my briefcase, I don't want him to know that what I have in the briefcase is money. He will eliminate me and runaway with it. I will open my briefcase if I get to Accra town and send money to you by bank transfer or western union. You will help me get papers to travel to your country for live there till my brother joins me.

Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.
Miss Emeka Izuabueke.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam