419 scam: "Hugo Wood"<genjamesconway@sbcglobal.net> Revert Back To Me

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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:
- "to 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 united states 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)
- ",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)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Hugo Wood" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <woodh63@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 17:21:48 +0100
Subject: Revert Back To Me

DR. HUGO WOOD.
DIRECTOR, ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT
BRITISH PETROLEUM CORPORATION (B.P.C)PLC

ATTENTION PLEASE,

TRANSFER OF $28,600,000:00 (TWENTY-EIGHT MILLION SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S. DOLLARS) ONLY.

I got your contact from the British Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Following this and other investigations resulting in a good recommendation. We have decided to contact you to help us with the legal Transfer of US$28,600,000.00 (Twenty-Eight Million Six hundred Thousand United States Dollars). The amount stated above resulted from an over-invoiced contract executed for the British Petroleum Corporation (B.P.C.)PLC for which the contractors have been fully paid. Because this money was part of the overall contract sum amounting to close to (US$100,000,000:00) that has been completed.

The said amount has remained dormant and floating in our Apex Bank. Therefore, we will raise supplementary documents to enable us transfer into an account that is yet to be nominated. We need a foreign partner, because as civil servants, the code of conduct does not allow us to operate foreign bank accounts. Hence we solicit for your assistance, we are requesting you to provide us with the help for the safekeeping of this money until our arrival in your country to collect our share and decide on investment possibilities of this money which you may advice,

For your assistance in this transaction, we have unanimously agreed to offer you 25% of this money, 5% will be used in settling any incidental expenses that may arise after the fund must have been transfered to your nominated bank account and the remaining amount will be for us. To enable the prompt transfer of this money, kindly send to us your personal details, contact information & bank details in full.

We look forward to hearing from you and thanking you for your anticipated cooperation and consideration in the above subject matter. Please be informed that we would appreciate the handling of this transaction in a confidential manner. We sincerely advise that you contact us on the above Telephone number to maintain the confidentiality of the business. Sending e-mail will be appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

DR. Hugo Wood

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam