419 scam: "Mr. Mark Brown" <helen_nelson01@yahoo.cn> (no subject)

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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.

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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- ",500,000" (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)
- "mr.markbrown1@ymail.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Mark Brown" <helen_nelson01@yahoo.cn>
Reply-To: mr.markbrown1@ymail.com
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:30:30 +0800 (CST)
Subject:

Dear friend,

I am Mr. Mark Brown the head of operational department of Barclays Bank Plc here in London, United Kingdom. In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of (17,500,000 British Pounds) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer who died along with his family in plane crash.

It is therefore upon this discovery that I now decided to make this business proposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for the safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it. I agree that 30% of this money will be for you, while 70% would be for me.

You have to contact my Bank directly as the real next of kin of this deceased account. You have to send me your information below to enable me use it and get you next of kin application, so that you will contact the Bank for the transfer of this money into your account.

Your full names
Your home address
Your age
Your mobile number
Your occupation

I am waiting for your urgent respond to enable us proceed further for the transfer.

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Mark Brown.
mr.markbrown1@ymail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam