419 scam: "Natacha Amah Ajeh" <natamah@att.net> From Amah Natacha.

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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:
- "dearest one," (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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. )
- "trunk box" (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)
- "trunk boxes" (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)
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
This email message is a orphan scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Natacha Amah Ajeh" <natamah@att.net>
Reply-To: <ajehnat@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2011 03:15:27 +0100
Subject: From Amah Natacha.

Dearest One,

How are you and your family? Please look not unto race or religion, because this has been problem facing the world as a whole.
please its my desire of asking you to be a guardian or foster parent to me and then help me out in what i am about to tell you. I am Natacha Amah Ajeh (17 years old) from Cote D' Ivoire, the only child of my late parent Chief/Mrs Stephen Ofori.
My father was a wealthy cocoa and gold merchant in Cote D ' Ivoire, he was poisoned to death by his business associates on one of their outings on a business trip. My mother died when i was three years old according to my father.
Before the death of my father on Sept. 2008 in a private hospital in Cote d'Ivoire, he secretly informed me about the sum of Nine million seven hundred thousand United States Dollars USD ($9.700,000) and some GOLD DUST which he packed inside TWO TRUNK BOXES and deposited in a security company in Accra Ghana.

He used my name as the next of Kin to deposit the BOXES. He advised me NOT to seek for assistance in the investment of the money from his lawyer nor any of his friend or even my uncles here but to seek for a foreign partner from any country of my choice where i wish to further my studies, that will assist me in wise investment of the money.

I have since left the money in the security company, with the view of making use of it for investment purposes after my educational carrier. I am presently in Ghana where the money is deposited. I decided to take quick actions and have this money retrieved out of the country.
Presently i am taking shelter in a church since my uncles have collected all other properties of my father saying that i am a female child that i do not have any rite in the family, they even threaten to kill me if they sees me around.
That is why i need your urgent assistance to transfer this money out to your country and I will use it for investment purpose like real estate management, hospital as my dream is to become a medical doctor in the future.
Please I am honorably seeking your assistance in the following ways:

(1) To be my guardian and then assist me to see that this money is retrieve from the security company.
(2) To make arrangement for me to come over to your country to further my education and then settle there permanently.
(3) I will need a valid identity of you so that i will give you the contact of the security company and the legal documents for you to find out the requirement we need to proceed so that the money can be released.
(4) Please, i will like you to come down here so that you will be very sure of what you are doing and i am willing to return back with you to your country after the transaction.
I am willing to offer you, 15% of the total sum as a compensation for your assistance. Please I am expecting to read from you.

I am expecting to read from you.

Thanks,
Yours, Natacha.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam