419 scam: "Mr. Marais"<hendrick_marais1@excite.co.jp> Urgently reply for Charity Purpose

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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
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.
- hendrick_marais3@excite.co.jp (Excite, Japan; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Marais" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <hendrick_marais3@excite.co.jp>
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03.24.54 +0100
Subject: Urgently reply for Charity Purpose

Dear friend,
How are you today?, I'm Hendrick Marais, 52yrs former branch manager of one of the international Banks in Malaysia.

As former branch manager of the bank, it is my duty to send auditing report to our bank head office at the end of each business year. On the course of 2010 business report. I discovered that my branch made Six million USD (US$6,000,000.00) which our bank head office does not aware of, further my private investigation I discovered that this fund was part of unclaimed deposited funds in our bank by a late French foreign investor before his sudden death with wife and two children on Boeing 737 Egyptian Airliner that crashed into the Red Sea on 3rd of January 2004. You can read more about the crash by visiting the below website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3365769.stm

I've already manage to move the fund to an Escrow Account with another bank before i was diagnosed with lung cancer and now i have short time to live. Am contacting you from my sick bed to solicit your assistance to help me fulfill my wish to disburse the fund among charity organization around the world and you will take 30% for your help. All I need of you is to stand claim as the title holder of the fund to enable the bank release the fund to your bank account.

Am waiting for your urgent response to enable me furnish you further details.

Regards,
Mr. Marais.
Email: hendrick_marais3@excite.co.jp

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam