419 scam: "Chris Boateng"<cbtng@vodafone.com.gh> To hear from you

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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:
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- ",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)
- "we advice you" (this email uses bad English)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Chris Boateng" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <cboateng@stncgh.net>
Date: Mon, 6 Nov 2017 16:35:54 -0800
Subject: To hear from you

Hello,

I know this letter will come to you as a surprise because you do not know me before; my name is Chris Boateng Monitoring Unit Cargo Department, Bank of Ghana.

During the airlift of some presidential luggage to Europe I and my colleagues in the above department unanimously decided to include additional luggage containing US$million (US$10,000,000.00) only for our own benefit though it was labeled "Photographic Equipment" for security reasons. I am obliged to contact you to assist us on getting the luggage cleared from a security firm in Madrid, Spain.

You will be entitled to a share of 40% of the total amount,60% of the total amount will be for me me and my colleagues.

If this business terms and conditions are OK by you, kindly get back and I will send you the Madrid company contacts to enable you officially write to them as the beneficiary of the luggage with the Approval Code.

Meanwhile, we advice you to keep the entire transaction close to yourself until you received the luggage.

Yours Faithfully

Mr. Chris Boateng

(Cargo Dept, BOG.)

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Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam