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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "Benjamin Ghanemy" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <bennyghny1@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:30:22 -0700
Subject: HSBC BANK IN LONDON



I am Benjamin Ghanemy,British citizen and Principal assurance manager for the
HSBC in London. A staffof Yokozona consultancy firm got in touch with me
regarding the estate of Simeon Arag. And an investment placed under our banks
management 3 years ago.I would respectfully request that you keep the contents
of this mail confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come
by as a result of this mail. I contact you independently of our investigation
and no one is informed of this communication.I would like to intimate you with
certain facts that I believe would be of interest to you.

In 1997, the subject matter; Simeon Arag came to our bank to engage in business
discussions with our private banking division. He informed us that he had a
financial portfolio of 8.35 million United States dollars, which he wished to
have us turn over (invest) on his behalfI was the officer assigned to his case,
I made numerous suggestions in line with my duties as the de-facto chief
operations officer, especially given the volume of funds he wished to put into
our bank We met on numerous occasions prior to any investments being placed. I
encouraged him to consider various growth funds with prime ratings.

The favored route in my advice to customers is to start by assessing data on
6000 traditional stocks and bond managers and 2000 managers of alternative
investments. Based on my advice, We spun the money around various opportunities
and made attractive margins for our first months of operation, the accrued
profit and interest stood at this point at over 10 million United States
Dollars, this margin was not the full potential of the fund but he desired low
risk guaranteed returns on investments. In mid 1998, he asked that the money be
liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash
payments in United Kindom.

He directed that I liquidate the funds and had it deposited with
United Assets Management and securities Uk (in their SecuritiesTrading
Firm).

I informed him that HSBC London would have to make special
arrangements to have this done and in order not to circumvent due
process, the bank would have to make a 9.5 % deduction from the funds to
cater for banking and statutory charges. He complained about the charges
but later came around when I explained to him the complexities of the
task he was asking of us. Cash movement across boarders has become
especially strict since the incidents of 9/11. I contacted my affiliate in
United Kingdom and had the funds available in United Assets
Management and securities. I undertook all the processes and made sure
I
followed his precise instructions to the letter and had the funds
deposited at United Assets Management Uk United Kingdom. United Assets
Management and securities Uk is a specialist bank that accepts deposits from
high net worth individuals and blue chip corporations that handle
valuable products or undertake transactions that need immediate access to
cash. In Line with instructions, the money was deposited with United
Assets Management Uk (in their Securities Trading Firm).

Simeon Arag told me he wanted the money there as soon as he got into
the United Kingdom,This was the last communication we had, this
transpired around 25th February 1999.In Sept last year, we got a call from
United Assets Management Uk informing us about the inactivity of that
particular portfolio. This was an astounding position as far as I was
concerned, given the fact that I managed the International private banking
sector I was the only one who knew about the deposit atUnited Assets
Management Uk, and I could not understand why Simeon Arag had not come
forward to claim his deposit. I made futile efforts to locate Simeon
Arag. Four days later, information started to trickle in, apparently Simoen
Arag was dead. A person who his description was declared dead of AUTO
ACCIDENT TRAUMA in Birmingham England.

We were soon enough able to identify the body and cause of death was
confirmed. The bank immediately launched an investigation into possible
surviving next of kin to alert about the situation and also to come
forward to claim his estate. In the field of private banking, opening an
account with us means no one will know of its existence, accounts are
rarely held under a name; depositors use numbers and codes to make the
accounts anonymous. This bank also gives the choice to depositors of
having their mail sent to them or held at the bank itself, ensuring that
there are no traces of the account and as I said, rarely do they
nominate next of kin.

Private banking clients apart from not nominating next of kin also
usually in most cases leave wills in our care, in this case; Simeon Arag
died in testate.In line with our internal processes for account holders
who have passed away, we instituted our own investigations in good faith
to determine who should have right to claim the estate. This
investigation has for the past months been unfruitful. We have scanned every
continent and used our private investigation affiliate companies to get to
the root of the problem. It is this investigation that resulted in my
being furnished with your details as a possible relative of the
deceased.

My official capacity dictates that I am the only party to supervise the
investigation and the only party to receive the results of the
investigation. You have unfortunately declared, and I know that you are in no
way affiliated with this individual. Whatthis means, you being the last
batch of names we have considered is that our dear late fellow died
with no known or identifiable family member.


This leaves me as the only person with the full picture of what the
prevailing situation is in relation to the deposit and the late
beneficiary of the deposit. According to practice, United Assets Management Uk
will by the end of this quarter broadcast a request for statements of
claim to HSBC in London, failing to receive viable claims they will most
probably revert the deposit back to HSBC in London. This will result in
the money entering the HSBC in London accounting system and the
portfolio will be out of my hands and out of the private banking division.


This will not happen if I have my way.What I wish to relate to you will
smack off unethical practice but I want you to understand something.
It is only an outsider to the banking world who finds the internal
politics of the banking world aberrational. The world of private banking
especially is fraught with huge rewards for those who occupy certain
offices and oversee certain portfolios. You should have begun by now to put
together the general direction of what I propose. There is US$8,370,
000.00 deposited in United Assets Management Uk.


I alone have the deposit details and they will release the deposit to
no one unless I instruct them to do so. I alone know of the existence of

this deposit for as far as United Assets Management Uk is concerned,
the transaction with Simeon Arag concluded when I sent the funds to
United Assets Management Uk, all outstanding interactions in relation to the
file are just customer services and due process. United Assets
Management Uk has no single idea of the history or nature of the deposit. They
are simply awaiting instructions to release the deposit to any party
that comes forward. This is the situation. This bank has spent great
amounts of money trying to track this man?s family; they have investigated
for months and have found no family. The investigation has come to an
end.


My proposal, I am prepared to place you as the next of kin in a
proposal toinstruct United Assets Management Uk to release the deposit to you
as the closest surviving relation. Upon receipt of the deposit, I am
prepared to share the money with you in half. That is: I will simply
nominate you as the next of kin and have them release the deposit to you.
We share the proceeds 50/50.



I would have gone ahead to ask the funds be released to me, but that
would have drawn a straight line in my involvement in claiming the
deposit. I assure you that I could have the deposit released to you within
a few days. I will simply inform the bank of the final closing of the
file relating to Simeon Arag I will then officially communicate with
United Assets Management Uk and instruct them to release the deposit to
you. With these: all is done.

I am aware of the consequences of this proposal. I ask that if you find
no
interest in this project that you should discard this mail. I ask that
you do not be vindictive and destructive. If my offer is of no appeal
to you, delete this message and forget I ever contacted you.



Do not destroy my career because you do not approve of my proposal.
You may not know this but people like myself who have made tidy sums
out of comparable situations run the whole private banking sector. I am
not a criminal and what I do, I do not find against good conscience,
this may be hard for you to understand, but the dynamics of my industry
dictates that I make this move. Such opportunities only come ones way
once in a lifetime. I cannot let this chance pass me by, for once I find
myself in total control of my destiny.These chances wont pass me by. I
ask that you do not destroy my chance, if you willm not work with me let
me know and let me move on with my life but do not destroy me. I am a
family man and this is an opportunity to provide them with new
opportunities. There is a reward for this project and it is a task well worth
undertaking. I have evaluated the risks and the only risk I have here
is from you refusing to work with me and alerting my bank.

I am the only one who knows of this situation, good fortune has blessed
you with a name that has planted you into the center of relevance in
my life. Lets share the blessing.If you give me positive signals, I will
initiate this process towards a conclusion. I wish to inform you that
should you contact me via official channels; I will deny knowing you
and about this project.

I repeat, I do not want you contacting me through my official phone
lines nor do I want you contacting me through my official email account.
Contact me onlythrough the numbers I will provide for you and also
through this email address.I do not want any direct link between you and me.
My official lines are not secure lines as they are periodically
monitored to assess our level of customer care in line with our Total
Quality Management Policy.Please observe this instruction religiously.
Please, again, note I am a family man, I have wife and children. I send you
this mail not without a measure of fear as to what the consequences, but
I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that
success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold. This is the one
truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not betray my
confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should plan a meeting,
soon.


I await your response.

Respectfully,

Benjamin Ghanemy.

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