419 scam: "Stephen Ferguson" <investconsult2@clarofree.com> INVESTMENT PLAN

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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 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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
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.
- stephenferguson02@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Stephen Ferguson" <investconsult2@clarofree.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: stephenferguson02@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2014 14:01:53 -0500
Subject: INVESTMENT PLAN

Dear Partner,

Please tolerate any inconvenience this correspondence might give you at
the course of trying to know who i am, quiet unfortunate we have not
really gotten familiar to each other before but due to the need of the
proposition i intent to present to you i was compelled to go through
your profile via Internet search and i was very interest to do this
business investment plan with you. Please i would like to explain the
details of the investment plan. I write to request your co-operation in
my desire to find a foreign partner who will assist me in relocating
and investing of the sum of (US$36,000,000 ( Sixty Million United
States Dollars which is presently available in my bank and in my
possession. It is very clearly that i decided that the huge amount
will be invested in your country on your behalf.

Firstly we will transfer the sum of Us$10,000,000 dollars into your
account while the second transfer will commence immediately which is
the sum of US$26,000,000 Dollars.But if you are capable to receive all
the fund into your country account, it will be okay. I am the
Executive Auditor in my Bank here in UK and this money was deposited
by my Deceased Customer who died in an Air Crash many years ago, and
no body has operated or knew about this fund. I have all the files
concerning this fund with me because I was the Account Manager of the
Deceased the owner of the fund. The owner of the money is "Mr. Ed
Swingle" who died on 4th Jan 2002 with president of agricultural
equipment giant AGCO Corp in a plane crash in Birmingham Airport.

You can view this CNN or BBC website for his true details.
http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/01/04/england.plane/
The need to move out this money arose when the Prime Minister said that
some of the money held in dormant accounts would be used to fund youth
and community projects. For your easy confirm Please View the
website below.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4017381.stm

I will be glad if you can stand as beneficiary to receive this money in
your country as this fund can only be paid to any foreigner who lives
outside UK . And i would invest my share in your Country. I am
offering you 50% of total sum after the transfer while 50% will be my
share. The entire plan and documents of this transaction will be
processed by a Government accredited Lawyer which will be handled by me
and the documents shall be forwarded to you during the process. I also
want to assure you that this business is 100% free from risk. You can
as well enclose your direct telephone numbers for discussion of this
offer in further details. Let me have your Full Name, Confidential
Telephone, Fax and Mobile Numbers and also your Contact Address in
response to this proposal if you are interested. Send your reply
through my private :(stephenferguson02@gmail.com). Please on your
confirmation of this message and indicating your interest,I Will furnish
you with more information on this business transaction immediately, so
we can proceed urgently.
Best Regards
Mr. Stephen Ferguson.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam