419 scam: thehindu@web1.hinduonnet.com Article from The Hindu: Sent to you by Mrs Mansa Sarpong

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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:
- "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
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.
- mansa.sarpon@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: thehindu@web1.hinduonnet.com (may be fake)
Reply-To: mansa.sarpon@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:51:12 +0530
Subject: Article from The Hindu: Sent to you by Mrs Mansa Sarpong

Hello Friend,

Good day,how are you and your entire family? i do believe everybody is fine. My name is Mrs mansa sarpong, I am a dying woman who has decided to donate what I have to charity through you.You may be wondering why I chose you. But someone has to be chosen. I am 59 years old and was diagnosed for cancer about 2 years ago,immediately after the death of my husband who had left me everything he worked for.I have been touched by the lord to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to charity through you for the good work of humanity,rather than allow my relatives to use my husband's hard earned funds inappropriately.

I have asked the lord to forgive me all my sins and I believe he has,because He is merciful. I will be going in for an operation,and I pray that I survive the operation. I have decided to WILL/Donate the sum of $5.5 Million (Five Million five Hundred thousand Dollars) to charity through you for the good work of the lord, and to help the motherless,less privileged and also for the assistance of the widows. At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls, due to the fact that my relatives are around me and I have been restricted by my doctor from taking telephone calls because I deserve all the rest I can get.

Presently,I have informed my lawyer about my decision in WILLING this fund to charity through you. I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly, and please use the funds well and always extend the good work to others.If you are interested in carrying out this task,i will inform my Family Lawyer so that he can arrange the release of the funds to you. I know i have never met you but my mind tells me to do this,and I hope you act sincerely.I will pay you 40% of this money if you will assist me because I am now too weak and fragile to do things myself because of my cancer.

NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the task is accomplished and Kindly furnish me your full name and your address also your contact number, so that I will prepare all relevant documents to effect the release of the fund to you.

Love,
Mansa Sarpong
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This article has been sent to you by Mrs Mansa Sarpong ( mansa.sarpon@hotmail.com )
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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com//stories/)

Copyright: 1995 - 2006 The Hindu

Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly
prohibited without the consent of The Hindu

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