419 scam: "Mr Alan Street" <info@alan.com> I Need Your Help

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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:
- "good day friend" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "with your full names" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "huge sum of money" (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)
- "million united states dollars" (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)
- "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "mralan.street@w.cn" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Alan Street" <info@alan.com>
Reply-To: mralan.street@w.cn
Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2011 10:55:07 -0300
Subject: I Need Your Help

Good Day Friend,

I am Mr. Alan Street, An Auditor of a Bank here in Thailand. and I am
contacting you on a business transfer of a huge sum of money from a deceased
account. I discovered an abandoned sum of (US$7.4 Million United States
dollars in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died
along with his entire family. We have made several inquiries to his high
commission to locate any of my clients extended Relatives, this has also
proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to
trace his last name over the Internet, to locate any member of his family;
hence I contacted you.

Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay
claims for this money. The funds can't be released from his account unless
someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in
our banking guidelines. I now seek your permission to have you stand as a
next of kin to the deceased as all documentations will be carefully worked
out by us for the funds (US$7.4 Million United States dollars) to be
released. Before it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable by the
Security Finance Firm.

I want you to know that I have planned everything out so that we shall come
out successful. I have contacted an attorney that will prepare the necessary
document that will back you up as the next of kin to the deceased.

all that is required from you at this stage is for you to provide me with
your Full Names and Address so that the attorney can commence his job. After
you have been made the next of kin, the attorney will also file in for claims
on your behalf and secure the necessary approval and letter of probate in
your favour for the move of the funds to an account that will be provided by
you. There is no risk involved at all in the matter, its 100% risk free as we
are going to adopt a legalized method and the attorney will prepare all the
necessary documents. Please endeavor to observe utmost discretion in all
matters concerning this issue and we shall share it the ratio of 60% for me
while 40% for you. I await your mail if you are interested and don't forget
to send me your full name and address. Have a nice day and reply me via this
below email: mralan.street@w.cn

Regards
Mr. Alan Street

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Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam