419 scam: Mr Godwin Bike <godwinbike335@msn.com> PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULY AND REPLY

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "transferred into your bank account" (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)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +447024037668 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- godwinbike@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mr Godwin Bike <godwinbike335@msn.com>
Reply-To: <godwinbike@sify.com>
Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 20:24:24 +0000
Subject: PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULY AND REPLY

PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULY AND REPLY

My Dear Friend,

This money $10.5 million United States of American dollars only in account number 8950035107506, Swift code HSBLAUS4L belongs to Mr. David Harrison a citizen of your country. Unfortunately this account was not access by the account owner Mr. David Harrison for 6 years 4 months now and the account is now dormant in our bank.

Since the absent of Mr. David Harrison, I have kept a close monitoring of his deposit records and accounts, since then nobody has come forward to claim the money in this A/C as his next of kin.

The total amount in the account is USD$10.500.00 (Ten Million, Five Hundred Thousand dollars only) and it is in a domiciliary escrow bank account. It is only the account owner or account officer can provide the Code of the deposit.

As it stands now, there is nobody in the position to provide the needed information except my very self-considering my position in the bank and been his account officer. On the fact that Mr. David Harrison is no more and leave no one as his next of kin to claim this deposit. I am therefore seeking for your co-operation to act as the next of kin to Mr. David Harrison so that the bank, will arrange for the release of the funds to your personal account so that you and I can share the fund to ourselves.

This is because I will be going for retirement next year and this money will be pushed to the Treasury of UK Government if nobody put claim to it. I am willing to share this money with you at the ratio of 60: 40, you shall have 60% of the funds and I shall have 40% this is because the money belongs to a citizen of your country.

I look forward to hearing from you urgently so that I can provide the account particulars to the bank and present your name as the next of kin so that this $10.5 million will be transferred into your bank account as the beneficiary.

Please reply via my private E-mail at godwinbike@sify.com

Mr. Godwin Bike
Assistance Director HSBC bank (South)} London.
Phone +44-702-403-7668

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam