419 scam: Patrick Mensah <mensah032@myfastbox.it> URGENT RESPONSE NEEDED

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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: Patrick Mensah <mensah032@myfastbox.it>
Reply-To: <patrickmensah_private04@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Wed, 29 May 2013 13:56:19 +0000
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE NEEDED

HFC
Bank Head OfficeNo.
35, Sixth AvenueNorth
RidgeP.
O. Box CT 4603,Cantonments,
Accra GhanaDear
Friend,I
know that this message will come to you as a surprise since we don t know each
other before, but for purpose of introduction, I am Mr.Patrick L Mensah a Bank
Manager of HFC Bank Accra.There is an account opened in this bank in the year
2000 and since 2004 nobody has operated on this account again.After
going through some old files in the records, I discovered that if I do not remit
this money out urgently it would be forfeited for nothing.The
owner of this account is Mr.Bill Blake a foreigner and a doctor
by profession he own one of the biggest hospital in Accra Ghana, but he died
since 2002. No other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it,
the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well
that his company does not know anything about this account and the amount
involved is (USD5.5M) Five Million Five Hundred Thousand United States
Dollars.I
am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a
local bank here, but can only be approved to any foreign account because the
money is in US Dollars and the former owner of the account is
Mr.Bill Blake is a foreigner too.I know that this message will
come to you as a surprise as we don't know ourselves before.We
will sign an agreement, but be sure that it is real and a genuine business.
Please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take
immediately. Send also your private telephone and fax number including the full
details as in your resident address, age and your full name.AS
Soon as the fund gets into your account I will fly to your country for the
withdrawal of the fund and sharing and to discus other investments plans. At the
conclusion of this business, you will be given 40% of the total amount, 60%will
be for me.I
look forward to your earliest reply through my email
patrickmensah_private04@yahoo.co.jpWaiting
for your reply soon.Yours
Faithfully,Mr.Patrick
Mensah(Bank
Manager)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam