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.
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:
"dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
"transfer into your 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)
",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 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.
+447024097505 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
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.
a.matutes@accountant.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
FROM
DESK OF: ABEL MATUTES
CLIENT OPERATIONS MANAGER BANKERS TRUST BANK ™ 1 GREAT WINCHESTER STREET LONDON EC2N 2DB, UNITED
KINGDOM
TEL: [44] 702 409 7505
FACSIMILE: [44] 844 774 4649
E-MAIL: a.matutes@accountant.com
Dear friend,
Re: FUND TRANSFER- £14m.
My name is; Abel Matutes, Client Operations Manager,
Offshore Private Banking- Bankers Trust Bank.
Firstly, I must solicit your interest on this transaction; it is
by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential. I got your e-mail
address from the South Africa Telecommunication Systems [TELKOM SA]. I humbly
seek your cooperation to transfer an amount of £14,000,000.00 (Fourteen
Million Pound sterling) into a safe foreign bank account.
PLEASE NOTE: During my auditing on
First-Quarter Bank requirement for Reserves held against possible losses,
I discover that one of our domiciliary accounts withholding balance of this
amount has been dormant and lastly operated in the past (24) years. From my
research and investigation, the owner of this account was a Hong Kong foreign
national by name; Engr Wing Chiu Lee, the former CEO of LEERIG Bridge
Construction hereinafter shall be referred to. He died on 14th April 1987
during an explosion of Gas transmission pipeline belonging to the Tennessee Gas
Pipeline Company.
Unfortunately before his untimely death, he did not make a
valid “WILL” by not nominating a beneficiary / next-of-kin to his estate fund
deposited with our bank. Late Engr: Wing Chiu Lee resided at Fourth Estate, 20
Bartholomew Close, London-EC1A 7QN. I did thorough auditing within
the relevant banking records in our account system from 1985 - 2010 in order to
find any of his relative which proved abortive, as he has no direct relative
that is aware of the existence of this account. Information from the
National Immigration Office states that Late Engr; Wing Chiu Lee was single on
point of entry into United Kingdom.
My Bank
authority has issued me a notice to contact the next of kin or the account will be declared unserviceable and the fund diverted to the
Bank treasury. So far all my efforts to get a hold of
someone related to this man has proved abortive. In terms of our Bank's
policy, this Fund shall be moved into a Suspense Account in April,
2011 if a claim is not initiated within the next 45days since it has been
unserviceable.
I am
actually asking for your consent to present you to my Bank Authority as the
Next of Kin/beneficiary of my late client's fund, so
that the proceeds of this account can be paid into
your account, then we can share the fund on a mutually
agreed based on percentage ppositively affect the lives of many instead of allowing the funds to
be completely lost.
REWARD: On smooth conclusion
of this fund transfer into your account, YOU will be entitled to (45%) of the total sum as
gratification, while you will set aside (45%)
for me. (5%) will be set aside to pay back any administrative or
miscellaneous cost we might incurred during the transfer, while other balance
of (5%) be set aside as a donation to any Charity Organization in your
country as long as you can assist me on this request.
I guarantee
that this transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will
protect you from any breach of law especially considering my position in the
Bank. All the legal documentation to back up this claim as
my client's next-of-Kin, I shall provided them.
All I require is your honest co-operation to enable
us achieve this transaction.
Kindly
confirm your interest and capability to enable me forward more details to you.
You may contact me privately on Tel: +44 702 4097 505 /
a.matutes@accountant.com.
Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority
No. 48046. This firm maintains professional indemnity insurance in
accordance with the rules of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Details of
the insurers and the territorial coverage of the policy are available for
inspection at our offices.
