419 scam: "Mahaman"<temp@isavalue.com> Dear Friend

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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)
- "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
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.
- mahamanpeter@yahoo.com.my (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mahaman" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mahamanpeter@yahoo.com.my>
Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2013 20:06:30 +0200
Subject: Dear Friend

Dear Friend,

Best compliments of the season. I am Mr. Peter Mahaman Esq, a notary public, I am the personal Attorney to late Andreas Schranner, 64yrs, a citizen of Germany; the decease ran a property business and he is the President/CEO of Diamond Safari Company Ltd, Accra Ghana. On the 31st of July 2000, my client, his wife and their only daughter with her husband were involved in a plane crash, which claimed their lives. The accident occurred as he was going for a vacation to Caribbean with his entire family, all 109 occupants of the plane unfortunately lost their lives. Below is the BBC news that announces the crash. You can check and confirm with my stories. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/859479.stm

My client has being a successful Diamond and Gold dealer in my country and the whole of the West African sub-region; he left behind a huge estate and assets. Sequel to his death, I have made several different efforts in search of the immediate relatives in order to transfer the legacies he left in my custody but my efforts have been fruitless. Currently, one of the banks in custody of my late client s legacy has requested me to bring forward the next of kin to inherit the legacy. The value of the legacy is US$20.5Million deposited with the WA Community Bank, Accra-Ghana.

In line with the result of my search, I humbly seek your consent to be presented as the bonafide next of kin to the deceased so that this legacy will transfer to your ownership. This entails repatriating the fund to your nominated receiving bank account As a matter of fact, I have the legal requirements needed to back you up in the claims. Moreover, the bank in custody of this legacy mandated me to bring forward the next of kin to inherit the fund or forfeit it to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an unclaimed dividend, Therefore, your unalloyed co-operation is required earnestly to claim this legacy from the bank for final disbursement between us. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. If you are ready to receive this legacy as the next of kin to the deceased, kindly reply this letter strictly via alternative email: mahamanpeter@yahoo.com.my to confirm your position, waiting for your urgent response.

Yours truly,

Barrister Peter Mahaman (Esq.)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam