419 scam: "DOUGLAS"<pro@irm.gov.my> FINAL VERIFICATION!

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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:
- "inland revenue board" (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. )
- "inland revenue board" (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. )
- "inland revenue" (Tax offices mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. Even after you pay their fake tax demands you will still not receive the non-existent funds you have been promised. )
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.
- douglas-khaled@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "DOUGLAS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <douglas_khaled@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:24:48 +0800
Subject: FINAL VERIFICATION!

Good Day Esteemed Beneficiary, Am obliged to inform you that you attention is needed in a very sensitive case which has been investigated upon. First of all I deemed it most crucial in announcing the reimbursement of international overdue payments which includes contracts and lotto funds in our Government (Malaysia) treasury, which has not yet been disbursed to their rightful beneficiaries. In accordance with regulations of the International Trade and Contract Act each year, all countries under the United Nations Organization are reviewed, on the level of industrial and intellectual property rights protection in all member nations. With this accountability and transparency project in mind, it has come to our notice from the UNO, in investigating on your case in regards to an overdue payment fund of yours amounting to Three Million, Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars only ($ 3,350,000.00 USD) which your representative claims, informing us you instructed him as a next of kin to claim your fund on your behalf. Please clarify us on this matter for the last time if you really instructed Eng. Abbas Ali from Pakistan as your representative, to claim this said fund on your behalf as my office has been given the mandate to verify and make sure disbursed funds don’t get into the hands of wrong people. Contact me back immediately for further verifications and information on douglas-khaled@hotmail.com and state if you sent Eng. Abbas Ali to our office or not for this claim. Regards, DOUGLAS KHALED. WRITING FOR THE INLAND REVENUE BOARD (IRB) MALAYSIA.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam