419 scam: "Dr.Maurice Seidu" <elizabethhussein75@gmail.com> =?UTF-8?Q?Business_Partnershi=E2=80=8Bp

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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)
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "foreign exchange" (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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr.Maurice Seidu" <elizabethhussein75@gmail.com>
Reply-To: rtm.dms10@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2015 20:13:02 +0100
Subject: =?UTF-8?Q?Business_Partnershi=E2=80=8Bp_Opportunit=E2=80=8By?=

Dear Sir/Madam

It is my warmest pleasure writing you this business letter with a view that
you will accept my request and give me a positive response hence time is
essence.

I am Dr.Maurice Tanco Abisa-Seidu ,Chief Director and Chairman of contract
award and monitoring committee with the Ministry of Food & Agriculture
Ghana. By the virtue of my position and the power bestowed on me by the
government, I carefully and deliberately over invoiced the value of some
contracts that we awarded to some foreign contractors to the tune of Twenty
Two million,Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars (US$22,500.000.00).

Now the contracts have been fully executed and commissioned and payments
are about to be made to all the contractors who have successfully executed
their contracts, the over invoiced sum of $22.5 Million is what I want to
transfer out of our country for our own benefit.

Unfortunately as a civil servant i am not permitted by law to operate
offshore bank accounts and this has constituted a major hindrance to my
plan in transferring this funds out of our country and to this end i am
looking for an honest and trustworthy foreign partner who will assist me to
provide an offshore bank account to receive the fund on my behalf for our
mutual benefit hence i am seeking your assistance.

I have agreed that the owner of the account will be compensated with (40%)
of the total sum for providing the account. Note that i have done my
homework very well in my country, this transaction is safe and guaranteed
100% risk free. If you are interested please send me your positive response
so that we can start the approval process of the fund on your behalf from
the relevant authorities including the ministry of finance, which will
allocate you or your company foreign exchange cover of USD$22, 500.000.00
for the immediate release of this fund into your account by the Bank of
Ghana.

I will visit you immediately we conclude the transaction to collect and
invest part of my share into any viable business you may advice in your
country and I will also buy industrial goods for a resale here in Ghana.
Please ensure to treat this matter in strict privacy as I have to protect
my job as a Civil Servants.

I shall await your urgent response .

Regards,

Dr.Maurice Seidu

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam