419 scam: "MR. HANS DUKE"<hansduk@jmail.co.za> ENQUIRY FROM MR. HANS DUKE

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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)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
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.
- +27718107242 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- hansd59@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR. HANS DUKE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <hansdukehans1@avasmail.com.mv>
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:59:25 -0700
Subject: ENQUIRY FROM MR. HANS DUKE

From: Mr. Hans Duke
Amalgamated Bank of South Africa (ABSA)
Tel: +27 718107242
Dear friend,

I know that this e-mail will come to you as a surprise since we don't know each other before now but permit me to use this medium to contact you. For the purpose of introduction, I am Mr. Hans Duke the Manager Private Investment branch of Amalgamated Bank of South Africa (ABSA)

One of our clients (Mr. Philip Moore) died in 2005 and left an investment with us up to the tune of US$5Million without any next of kin. Our records proves as much. Furthermore, he also has an investment portfolio with Barclays Bank of United Kingdom worth £10million. Because my bank (ABSA) is affiliated with Barclays Bank and we oversee all his financial investment, I am aware of these funds.

Usually, any financial investment that is dormant for a certain period of time is taken into the bank's treasury as an unclaimed bill. My bank being aware of the death of Mr. Philip Moore and the non-provision of next of kin is proposing to term these funds as unclaimed bill. This prompted me to act. I went and discussed with the personal attorney of Mr. Mr. Philip Moore and we agreed to enter into business with you.

Here is your proposed role in this business:

Provision of an off-shore account where we could transfer these funds. The account could be your personal or company's account; it does not matter.

Acting as the next of kin to Mr. Philip Moore (late). To this, we are going to work it out with the personal attorney of Mr. Philip Moore in the most legal way possible.

Please, if your are interested, get back to me as soon as you read this mail so that we could discuss and agree on the percentage entitlement to every party involved and actually commence the transaction in order to accomplish it before the end of this fiscal quarter when the Board of Directors of my bank will sit again.

Expecting your prompt positive response through my direct e-mail.
hansd59@gmail.com
Best regards,

Mr. Han duke

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam