419 scam: "Mr. Kareem Kaita." <office---office123@att.net> Asalam-u-Alaikum

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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:
- "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)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
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.
- mrkareemkta@rediffmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Kareem Kaita." <office---office123@att.net>
Reply-To: mrkareemkta@rediffmail.com
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:17:41 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Asalam-u-Alaikum

Asalam-u-Alaikum,

I am pleased to introduce a business opportunity to transfer to your overseas account the sum of (US$5.1Million) Five million One hundred thousand United States Dollars from one of the Prime Banks here in Republic of Benin.

I am Mr Kareem Kaita (Bsc,Msc) the head of Audit Department of a bank here in Cotonou Benin Republic where am a staff, during the course of our auditing, I discovered a dormant account with funds valued at US$5.1M (Five Million One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ) in an account opened in our bank since 2007 and up till date the account remains dormant.

The owner of the account is an estate consultant, He was among the dead victims of automobile crash along Togo Benin International express way, alongside with his family. With a personal conviction of trust and confidence ,I wish to contact you as a foreigner to stand as a relative/next of kin to the deceased,since you are of the same surname,thus I can work out the release of this fund. No other person in this institution knows about the account, please be rest assured of a risk free transaction,all I require is your cooperation and total commitment because the account content can not be approved to an indigence here as his next of kin just as his account file in the bank implies.

At the conclusion of this project,I propose a joint investment of an equal partnership to you or we may share it in a ratio of 40% for you and 60% for me.Please don't consider this business deal proposition against moral justification, they are many other aspects of life we may contribute with this funds to help the less privileged and the needy in any society than having it shared as an unclaimed bill among Government PLEASE .

I look forward to your earliest response, while I urge you to reply via my private email only: (mrkareemkta@rediffmail.com) for confidentiality purpose.

Yours truly,

Mr. Kareem Kaita.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam