I am fairly new in this website so i don't know if i am posting my question in the right thread.....but i think my dad is being scammed....someone sent him a message on Facebook saying that he needs my dad's assistance and he wants my dad to pretend like the next kin of a dead man just because they have the same last name......I am skeptical about the whole thing so i told my dad it might be a fraud but he told me he is sure it is not a scam....when i asked him why, he replied: "I should know better than you...i am already old while you are only a high schooler".......i am so worried about my dad...what if he get scammed for real...moreso, i researched online and everyone is saying this might be the 419 Scam......here is the WHOLE message they sent to my dad and please let me know what you think:

Dear Mr ____________ ,

Its a pleasure to sent you this message, My name is Mr Philip Jabbas. a Banker and accountant with our bank here in Abidjan Cote Ivoire west Africa I am the account manager in a branch to Eng.Mr Jonas Gonong a nationality of your country, who used to work with an oil servicing company here in Cote Ivoire.

Client, his wife, and their two children were On the 21st of April 2007 involved in a car accident along Yamussokro express Road here in Cote Ivoire West Africa All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives. Since then I have made several inquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives but has been unsuccessful.

After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his last name over to contact to see if I could locate any member of his family hence I contacted you. Of particular interest is this huge deposit with our bank here in, where the deceased has an account valued at about ($4.5 million US dollars).They have issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or the bank will declare the account unserviceable and thereby send the funds to the bank treasury.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over last 2 years now, I will seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last names, so that the proceeds of this account valued at $4.5 million US dollars(Four Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars Only) can be Transfer to your account and then you and I can share the money, and I propose a 30% spilt at the end of the transaction.

All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under all legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. In your reply mail, I want you to give me your full names, address, telephone If you can handle this with me,Here is my email you can contact me: philip_jabbas@ymail.com ,while my telephone number is 0022557317540.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr Philip Jabbas