419 scam: "Mr. Stefan Felton"<pristaniste@sksyu.net> Confidentiality Required........Business Proposition

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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:
- "million 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)
- "s_felton200uk@live.co.uk" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Stefan Felton" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <s_felton100uk@live.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 2010 09:47:11 +0100
Subject: Confidentiality Required........Business Proposition

Good Day to You,

Though I have not considered this medium to be the best manner to have approached you on this issue being that the Internet has been greatly abused over the recent years and is very unsecured for in formations of vital importance. I have decided to take the chance seeing that no other means could have been faster and more efficient than the E-mail.

I am Stefan Felton, Staff of Hamilton Direct Bank. I am contacting you concerning a deceased customer and an investment he placed under our banks management six years ago to the tune of Thirty million united states dollars ($30, 000, 000, 00).I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by as a result of this mail. I have been in charge of this department for six years and to best of my knowledge, I have discharged my duty with equity.

In the process of review of the financial report by my department, I discovered that both of you have a similar last name; hence I contacted you so that I can give you further briefing on my intention and how to disburse the funds and estate he left behind. My proposal; you share the same surname with our late client; I am prepared to place you in a position to instruct the security Firm to release the deposit to you as the closest surviving relation. Upon receipt of the deposit, I am prepared to share the money with you in half. That is: I will simply nominate you as the next of kin and have them release the deposit to you. We share the proceeds 50/50.

I ask that you do not destroy my chance, if you will not work with me let me know and let me move on with my life but do not destroy me. I am a family man and this is an opportunity to provide them with new opportunities. There is a reward for this project and it is a task well worth undertaking.

I will most welcome your prompt response via this email s_felton200uk@live.co.uk I await your response.

Sincerely
Stefan.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam