419 scam: "Desmond Chang"<desmond.chang@adinet.com.uy> From Mr Desmond

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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:
- "million 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)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- desmond_chang01@yahoo.com.ph (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Desmond Chang" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <desmond_chang021@yahoo.com.ph>
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2012 14:48:28 +0800
Subject: From Mr Desmond

>From : Mr. Desmond Chang

COMPLIMENTS,

TRANSFER OF USD18.559 MILLION DOLLARS TO YOUR ACCOUNT.

This is a personal email directed to you for your consideration alone. Can I request that it remain and be treated as such only?
My name is Mr. Desmond Chang, Chartered Accountant F & C Fund Management Ltd, (OEICS) UK. I have already sent you this same letter by post one month ago,
but I am not sure that the letter promptly get to you since I have not heard from you, now I am resending it again. I want to trust this investment fund in your care,
It will be in my interest to transfer this fund worth of of USD18,559,000 DOLLARS (Eighteen Million, Five Hundred And Fifty Nine Thousand Dollars) in an account offshore.
Can you be my partner? Regards and respect, I advise that you keep this email confidential and respond to me via my private email(desmond_chang01@yahoo.com.ph) with your private phone number.

I await your earliest response.

Thank You.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Desmond Chang

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam