419 scam: "Tom Tonic \(Mr.\)" <jw@aruba.it> From Mr.Tom Tonic !!!

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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)
- "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.

Fraud email example:

From: "Tom Tonic \(Mr.\)" <jw@aruba.it>
Reply-To: scottroland80@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:43:49 GMT
Subject: From Mr.Tom Tonic !!!

From Mr.Tom Tonic
#8 Herbal Hill, Clerkenwell,
London, EC1R 5EJ

Do accept my sincere apologies if my mail does not meet your personal ethics
although, I wish to use this medium to get in touch with you first because
it's fastest means. My name is Mr.Tom Tonic,an External Auditor working in a
Prime Bank in UK here.

My proposal is that,during our last auditing I discovered a dormant account,
with a balance of £52,000,000.00 (Fifty Two Million Pounds Sterling). From
my investigation, the owner of the same account,a foreigner by name Mr.Kurt
Kahle. After going into deeply investigation I found out that Mr.Kurt Kahle
died on 31st July 2000 in a plane crash along with his supposed next of
kin.For more details you can visit this
site:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm

This transaction is totally free of risk and troubles as the fund is
legitimate and does not originate from drug, money laundry, terrorism or any
other illegal act.Upon the successful transfer of the fund to your account,
you will be given 45%of the total amount while 55% will be for me. If you
are interested, kindly get back to me as soon as possible so I can advice
you on how to proceed for the successful transfer of the Fund into your
account without any suspicious.

Warm Regards,
Mr.Tom Tonic

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam