419 scam: Andrew Brown <hfx002@live.com> Please reply urgently.

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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 pounds" (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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "dormant account" (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.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +447045704762 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: Andrew Brown <hfx002@live.com>
Reply-To: andrew.brown56@hotmail.co.uk
Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 08:49:42 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Please reply urgently.

My Dear,

Please do not be surprise about my message to you. I am contacting you for a business transaction that will be of great benefit to the both of us based on your geographical location and your reputable profile which proves you eligible for this transaction. Please kindly read this message carefully and get back to me.

I am Mr. Andrew Brown, a branch Manager to Natwest Bank here in London. After the end of 2010 auditing here in my branch, I discovered that on Nov. 2006, a foreign Fiber Optics consultant/contractor Opened a fix deposit account with my branch and made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at 15,000,000.00 Pounds (Fifteen Million Pounds Sterling). Upon the confirmation of the dormant account, I sent a routine notification to the head office concerning this dormant account and a message was as well sent to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from one his employee that he died while on holiday in Italy as a result of the earthquake on the 8th April 2009 along with his wife and their only daughter who is supposed to be the next of kin. This sum of 15,000,000.00 Pounds is still sitting in my Bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end
of each year. No one will ever come forward to claim it. At the expiration of 5 (five) years, the money will be sent to the bank reserve account for bank use.

Consequently, my bank has mandated me as the branch manager to locate any of his relative and yet all my effort to locate any of his relative was proven abortive. Hence, I decided to confidentially contact you as a foreigner considering the fact that you are of the same national with the late customer and also your profile proves you eligible for this claim because the bank will have no doubt as long as am the one presenting you.

All i need from you is to act with the information a shall provide so that the bank can approve and transfer the fund to your account while i come over to meet with you in order to share the fund at the ratio of 60% for me and 40% to you. I will be here to direct and provide you with every information required and we shall employ the services of an attorney who shall represent you here to secure and endorse necessary documents.

Be rest assured that you stand no risk at all as long as am concern. All i need from you is honesty and trustworthy. I shall require your assistance to invest part of my share in your country.

If this is ok by you, please send your full names, address and your direct contact details so i can provide you with detail information on what to do.

I will appreciate your urgent reply and please feel free to call me as soon as you receive

this message. My Tel: +44-7045704762.

Regards

Andrew Brown

Tel: +44-7045704762

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam