419 scam: "Mushi Bello"<muhbello@gmail.com> DEAR FRIEND,READ CAREFUL AND REPLY BACK.

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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)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "into your nominated bank account" (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)
- "hundred thousand us 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)
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mushi Bello" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mushibello@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 02:11:38 -0000
Subject: DEAR FRIEND,READ CAREFUL AND REPLY BACK.

MR. MUSHI BELLO.
Bill and exchange Manager.
BANK OF AFRICA BOA.
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

(CONFIDENTIAL IS THE CASE)

Dear Friend,

Greeting, Compliment of the season and how are you doing? I hope fine. I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise as we have never met before, I got your information and lay trust in you before contacting you. My name is Mr Mushi Bello, I am the Manager of Bill and Exchange at the Foreign Remittance Department of Bank Of Africa (BOA). I crave your indulgence as i contact you in such a surprising manner. But i respectfully insist you read this letter carefully as i am optimistic it will open doors for unimaginable financial rewards for both of us.

I decided to contact you over this financial transaction worth the sum of 13.7M US DOLLARS (THIRTEEN MILLION, SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS).This is an abandoned fund that belongs to one of our bank foreign customers, Late Mr. Morris Thompson from United state who died along with his completely family on the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 206, which crashed on January 31 2000, read more about Late Mr. Morris Thompson on the website below for information about him:
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/081301/foc_native_corps.shtml

I was very fortune to come across the deceased file when I was arranging the old and abandoned customer’s files #65533 of 2003- 2004 in other to submit to the bank managements accordingly for documentation purposes. It is clearly stated in our BANKING FOREIGN POLICY and signed lawfully that if such fund remains unclaimed by the NEXT OF KIN till the period of TEN (10) years starting from the date when the beneficiary died, the money will be transferred into the BANK TREASURY as an unclaimed fund. Besides, it is not authorized by the law guiding our bank for a citizen of BURKINA FASO to make the claim of the fund. So the request of you as a foreigner is necessary to apply for the claim and transfer of the fund smoothly into your reliable bank account as the NEXT OF KIN to the deceased. When the fund is transferred into your account, FORTY PERCENT (40%) will be for you in assistance and in provision of the bank account, wile SIXTY PERCENT (60%) will be for me.

You will be standing as the next of kin to deceased man (Mr. Morris Thompson from United State) standing as associate partner to him with the little documents I will provide for this, you don't have to be afraid of anything as regards to this transaction. Without wasting time, I would like to reassure you once again that all arrangement regarding the smooth transfer of this inheritance fund into your nominated bank account has been made. Be informed that nobody is coming for the claim since his death as all his supposed next of kin died along with him in the plane crash and heart attack.

If you are willing to help me, kindly comply immediately you receive this email and i will give you more details. You should contact me immediately as soon as you receive this letter.

Trusting to hear from you immediately.

My regards to your family,
MR. MUSHI BELLO.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam