419 scam: "ARTHUR BRETON"<arthurbrettoon@aim.com> KONTAKT HERR.ARTHUR BRETON!!!

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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:
- ",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)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- arthurbretton@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "ARTHUR BRETON" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <arthurbretton@aim.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:52:45 +0100
Subject: KONTAKT HERR.ARTHUR BRETON!!!

Hallo Freund,

Ich vermute das diese E-Mail eine uberraschung fur Sie sein wird, aber es ist wahr.Ich bin bei einer routinen uberprufung in meiner Bank(Standard Bank von Sud Afrika) wo ich arbeite, auf einem Konto gestoben, was nicht in anspruch genommen worden ist, wo derzeit $12,500,000 (zwolfmillionenfunfhundert US Dollar) gutgeschrieben sind. Dieses Konto gehurte Herrn Manfred Becker, der einKunde in unsere Bank war, der leider verstorben ist. Herr Becker war eingeburtiger Deutscher.

Damit es mir moglich ist dieses Geld $12,500,000 inanspruch zunehmen, benotige ich die zusammenarbeit eines Auslandischen Partners wie Sie,den ich als Verwandter und Erbe des verstorbenen Herrn Becker vorstellen kann,damit wir das Geld inanspruch nehmen konnen.

Fur diese Unterstutzung erhalten Sie 30% der Erbschaftsumme und die restlichen 70% teile ich mirmit meinen zwei Arbeitskollegen, die mich bei dieser Transaktion ebenfalls unterstutzen.Wenn Sie interessiert sind, konnen Sie mir bitte eine E-Mail schicken, damit ich Ihnen mehr Details zukommen lassen kann. Schicken Sie bitte Ihre Antwort auf diese E-Mail: arthurbretton@aim.com

Mit freundlichen Grussen,

Herr.Arthur Bretton

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam