419 scam: ben mensar <mensar01ben4@msn.com> From Mr.Ben Mensar

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand 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)
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "very confidential" (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 next of kin 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.
- ben1960mensah@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: ben mensar <mensar01ben4@msn.com>
Reply-To: <ben1960mensah@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:44:34 +0000
Subject: From Mr.Ben Mensar

>From Mr.Ben Mensar,Bill and Exchange Manager,INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK (GH) LTD. (I.C.B)ACCRA GHANA. VERY CONFIDENTIAL.Dear Friend, I must say sorry for interfering into your privacy without seeking forpermission. It's because of urgency of this matter.Firstly, I am the Manager of Bill and Exchange at the Foreign RemittanceDepartment of INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK (I.C.B)In my department I discovered an abandoned sum of $ 22.7m USA Dollars (TwentyTwo Million Seven Hundred Thousand US dollars). In an account that belongs toone of our foreign customer who died along with his entire family in 6thDecember 2011 in Libya Crisis.Since we got the information about his death, we have been expecting his nextof kin to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unlesssomebody applies for as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines but unfortunately we learnt that all his supposed nextof kin or relation died alongside with him at the Libya Crisis leaving nobodybehind for the claim.It is therefore upon this discovery that I now decided to make this businessproposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or Businesspartner to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody iscoming for it and I don't want this money to go into the Bank treasury asunclaimed Bill.In our Banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money remainedunclaimed after two years an above, the money will be transferred into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund.The request of foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by thefact that the customer was a foreigner and a Real Libya Person cannot stand asnext of kin to a foreigner.I agree that 35 % of this money will be for you as foreign partner, in respectto the provision of a foreign account While 5 % will be set aside for anyexpenses incurred during the business and 60 % would be for me.Upon receipt of your reply, I will give you full details on how the businesswill be executed, and I will not fail to bring to your notice that thistransaction is hitch free and that you should no entertain any atom of fear asall required arrangements have been made for the transfer.(Contact Me with this Email.(ben1960mensah@gmail.com)You should contact me immediately as soon as you receive this letter.I am urgently waiting to hear from you.Yours faithfully,Mr.Ben Mensar.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam