419 scam: "Rev Chris Martins"<info_bank@net.com> From The Desk of:Rev Chris Martins

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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (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.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
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.
- +2348164257728
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.
- martins_revchris@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Rev Chris Martins" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <martins_revchris@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 8 Apr 2011 15:49:16 -0500
Subject: From The Desk of:Rev Chris Martins

Contact Information

Address: Amazing Grace Plaza , 2E-4E Ligali Ayorinde,

Lagos Victoria Ireland Nigeria .

Telephone: +2348164-257-728

Text: “33923”Email:martins_revchris@yahoo.com

Date: 7/04/2011

Dear friend

This is to congratulate you for scaling through the hurdles of screening by the board of directors of this payment task force. Your payment file was

approved and the instruction was given us to release your payment and activate your ATM card for use. The first batch of your card which contains

1,000.000.00 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS has been activated and is the total fund loaded inside the card. Your fund which is in total 10,000.000.00

MILLION U.S. DOLLARS will come in batches of 1,000.000.00 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS and this is the first batch. Your payment would be sent to you

via UPS or FedEx, Because we have signed a contract with them which should expired by February 7TH Below are few list of tracking numbers you can

track from UPS website(www.ups.com) to confirm people like you who have received their payment successfully.

JOHNNY ALMANTE ==============1Z2X59394198080570
GARY METZGER ==============1Z2X59394195952759
GLEN PAPANIKAS ==============1Z2X59394198690947

Good news, We wish to let you know that everything concerning your ATM CARD payment despatch is ready, in this office and we have a meeting with

the house (Federal government of Nigeria) we informed them

that your fund should not cost you any thing because is your money (Your Card). Moreover, we have an, agreement with them that you should pay only

delivering of your card which is 250 U.S. DOLLARS by FedEx or UPS Delivering Company.
However, you have only three working days to send this 250 U.S. DOLLARS for the delivering of your card, if we don’t hear from you with the payment

information; the Federal Government will cancel the card.
This is the paying information that you will use and send the fee through western union money transfer.
Please reply me through this my private email address: martins_revchris@yahoo.com
Recevers;Name:BARNABAS ANYAEHIE
Address: Lagos-Nigeria
Question:In God
Answer: We Trust
Amount:$250

I wait the payment information to enable us proceed for the delivering of your card.

Rev Chris Martins

Director ATM Swift Card/Foreign Operation Dept,

Central Bank of Nigeria CBN.
Email: martins_revchris@yahoo.com
Contact No:+2348164-257-728
CC: Federal Bureau of Investigation
CC: National Central Bureau of Interpol

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam