419 scam: "Mr. Adams Bell." <adams_bell21@aol.fr> From Mr. Adams Bell. I am waiting for your 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:

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)
- "huge amount 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)
- "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Adams Bell." <adams_bell21@aol.fr>
Reply-To: belladams86@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 21 May 2014 01:37:46 GMT
Subject: From Mr. Adams Bell. I am waiting for your reply.

Dear Friend,

I write to seek your co-operation as my foreign partner and your assistance to enable me own properties and invest in the economy of your country. I apologize if this letter does not suit your personal or business ethics.

My name is Mr. Adams Bell, a lawyer and personal confidant to a dead depositor of Gold and huge amount of money with a reputable bank here in my country. I trusted and believed to confide this confidential business suggestion to you and I am making this venture proposal to you in strict confidence. This is an overdue unclaimed fund totaling to the amount of US$19.5M, and Gold worth about US$30M, belonging to one of my foreign clients who is now deceased. I want to make the transfer to oversea with the assistance and co-operation of a company or an individual, via a reliable Bank Account as the Foreign Business Partner to the deceased.

Although the world is very small place and hard place to meet people because you don't know who to trust or believe, but as I have developed trust in you after my fasting and prayers, I made up my mind to confide this confidential business suggestion to you. If you will like to assist me as a partner then indicate your interest after which we shall both discuss the modalities and the sharing percentage. All other information to facilitate the remittance of the funds will be revealed to you in due course. If you are not interested, please also indicate so to enable me contact other foreign partners who might be interested to work with me.

A swift acknowledgment of the receipt of this letter and early establishment of position will be appreciated.

I am waiting for your reply.

Best regards,

Mr. Adams Bell.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam