The Gaddafi 419

You have to give the 419 scammers a little credit for creativity. OK, not much credit is due, but today I did find a unique 419 scam in my junk mail folder. This one claims to come from the daughter of Col. Muammar Gaddafi himself. Her story is that she has fled the country and needs to move some funds…. and I’m the one to help her.

Obviously it’s just another 419 scam, and there is no money to be had – unless you fall for it, and then they’ll have a windfall at your expense. The typical 419 scam, regardless of the characters they use in their story, involves someone wanting to move money, asking for your help, and promising you a cut in the end. What ends up happening is that they will ask you for some money upfront to cover costs, or they may send you a bogus check and ask for some of the money back. Once you’ve sent them money – and the check bounces – you’re screwed. So please ignore such 419 scams should you ever receive one.

And going back to today’s 419, notice how the email includes a link to an actual news story to somehow give the story validation.

The subject of the email reads: As-Salum’Alaykum (Confidential)!!!?

The email arrived from: Aisha Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (user@ad.edigo) 

The email reads:

Hallo, As-Salum?laykum,
I am Aisha Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi,Daughter of former Libyan leader, Col. Muammar Gaddafi.
Due to obvious reasons,i offers a partnership proposal which will need the help of a partner like you to be complete successfully.
I am in a difficult situation and i must immediately relocate certain sums of money to any undisclosed custody. More so, this must be done in such a way that it must not be tied to me as a result of my father’s death and circumstances. Transaction is Secured and 100% Risk Free.
The sum is currently deposited in the name of an existing legal entity. Your role here is to:

(1). Receive of the funds into your custody for Investment Purposes.
(2). Invest/Manage the funds in any profitable investment in your country.
(3). Value of funds: Not revealed for security reasons.
(4). Your Partnership/Efforts Compensation is 30% of Total Fund.

On your acceptance on this partnership request,isuggest a meeting will be scheduled with you to discuss the transaction one on one.
For your Perusal:http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/08/2011829171617807937.html
Reply directly to Aisha Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi private Email: aishahazi@yahoo.com
Please I apologize

Thank you (Shuran)
Aisha Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi
Impasse Ahmed Kara, Chemin Du Kaddous
Hydra,Algiers
16012
Algeria.

While most people are well aware of these 419 scams, there are those who take pause and still may be fooled by them. The mere fact that you’re reading this means you’ve probably received the same email – which should tell you that it’s a scam. Why would they send the same email to multiple people? Also note that this was sent to one of my “throwaway” email addresses reserved for nothing but junk… like this.

It’s a bit humorous to see new incarnations of the 419, but it’s alarming that there are still those out there who get hurt by them.

2013 Update
This variant appeared in our inbox today.

Good day,

I am Ayesha Gadhafi the daughter of the former Libyan leader, Late Col. Muammar Gadhafi. However, I was never in support of my father’s position in killing the Libyan citizens. I am sending you this email in respect of my father’s funds that was deposited in my name in a reputable financial institute in GHANA and my father thought the said funds has been seized before he died. Now the Government is after us and trying to liquidate all my late father’s funds.

I would need your assistance to move the funds out of GHANA to your country based on the fact that, all our activities are presently monitored and we cannot make any trip out of Algeria or get involved in any monetary issue or business transaction, hence I seek your assistance. I will send more information to you if you accept to assist me. Right now we have a lot of calamity in Libya and the US government has already seized $200billion dollars of my late father’s wealth in the United State of America and the British did the same too. So therefore, I am trying to make sure they don’t find the $100Million that is deposited in my name in GHANA . This is why I am trying to move the funds as soon as possible because presently, I am in the Algerian Refugee camp under the Algerian Government Protection Act, I can’t make that happen, and hence I contacted you. I have been here in this camp since August 2011 and at that time I came in here, I was pregnant and right now have a beautiful baby.

I want you to know that I have a past and history to protect and I have never supported my late father in his wrong ways that is why I want to separate myself from the family. I actually came across your contact information while using a soft-ware called the internet web detective. Having studied a bit of your profile as displayed by the web detective I came to the conclusion that you will be a very trustworthy and reliable partner since you have had no criminal records in the past or present, hence I contacted you because I know you are capable to handle this project and assist me to receive these funds.

At this point I can’t communicate with you on phone, but only by email as we have restricted access. I will also want you to know that I have done all that is necessary for you to receive these funds without any problem or eyebrow. As soon as I receive your email I will send you more information and also the contact of the financial institute in GHANA . to contact them and make further claims of these funds to your possession and hold it till am out of this camp for investment purpose in your country. But please I want you to know that I am working with you with full trust and honesty on this because the new Government of Libya is seriously looking for all funds under my late father’s name.

The total fund is $100Million and you shall have 30% of the total amount for assisting me in making this transfer a success. I also want you to know that there is no legal implication of any kind or any unforeseen one and it is 100% risk free and it is compulsory you keep every detail in this message confidential and secretive between us and the bank official that will be assist us. I also want you to know that none of my relative know about these funds and it is an inheritance from my father and everyone thought that the funds had been seized. As soon as we have the change of the account done to your name, then we can make transfer of the funds in bits and I would prefer the first transfer of $10M to your account before subsequent transfer would be done.

Please, kindly get back to me on my email address below to enable me forward you more information. We would need a change of ownership which I would sign to that effect immediately. Please, as a result of the present issue in Libya, I would want you to keep this confidential because if the Government finds out about the funds, it would be confiscated. The transfer is 100% risk free as all the paper works that would prove the legitimacy of the funds when it is transferred into your account, would be made available by the bank including the origin of funds that would be issued as a contract payment.

Please only reply to the email address below for security reasons.

Regards,
Ayesha Gadhafi.
Email: aaayesha@o2.pl

Want to read about more 419 scams? Here’s some further reading for you:

• The Craigslist 419
• The Homeland Security 419
• 419 Japanese Style
• 419 Scam ‘O The Day 
• Barclay’s 419
• Toyota Lottery 419
• The Anti-419 419
• Helping Frank Jones Get His $15 Million
• The Vincent Zulu 419

Article update: Feb. 17, 2013