419 scam: "Dr. Bonney Andrews"<web10@ms8.pmsh.tnc.edu.tw> RE: For your assistance please

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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- ",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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "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)
- "contract award committee" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <bonneyandrew46@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2014 04:39:23 +0300
Subject: RE: For your assistance please

Dear Sir/Madam

RE: For your assistance please

I am seriously seeking for your assistance and partnership in this contract transaction, believing that you will not disappoint us. I am a highly positioned officer in the Petroleum Ministry of my country Ghana and we are in charge of Contract Award Committee. We have used our position to make the sum of (US$38,000,000.00) Thirty Eight Million U.S Dollars which we have kept very confidential to ourselves. This sum came through brokerage commission from the contracts we awarded to the foreign contractors.

The US$38,000,000.00 is currently in the GNPC Account, I am writing this Email to seek your attention and permission to enable us transfer this amount into your a/c or into any other a/c that you can nominate to us. For us to commence the processing of this transaction, you are required to send the followings, your full names, address and telephone numbers.

Please send your information as soon as possible to enable us process the necessary payment approvals for the wire transfer.

I look forth to your immediate reply.

Yours Sincerely,

Dr. Bonney Andrews

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam