419 scam: "John Aboh"<johnaboh11001@yahoo.co.jp> Our Ref: RDG/5875

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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:
- "necessary legal documents" (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. )
- "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "John Aboh" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <johnaboh1100@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2011 04:55:08 -0500
Subject: Our Ref: RDG/5875

John Aboh
Our Ref: RDG/5875

I am Al, (Real name withheld for reasons of confidentiality) I am a Lawyer in the United Kingdom. I have an urgent and very confidential business proposition for you.

Last two years, 20th of August 2008, a rich Swedish client of mine died with his wife in a plane crash. http://www.airdisaster.com/news/article.php?id=30 (Names withheld). I decided to contact you (bearing in mind that you might not want to be a party to this perhaps for personal reasons) and therefore will allow some time for you to see if you are willing to work with me. If this is not to be the case, then I will contact others. He left no next of kin or indeed any relatives. I am therefore compelled to contact you in view of the prevalent circumstances.

I have made several enquiries to locate any of my clients extended relatives and this has proved unsuccessful. I decided to contact you first to seek your consent to join hands with me in repatriating the money and property left behind by my client, before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank/Government of UK. The funds are of an estimated value of $49,000,600.00 (Forty nine million, six hundred thousand USD).

Consequently, the bank (the custodian of the funds) issued me with a notice to provide the next of kin or have the deposit declared recovered treasure and converted to the public funds. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased. The proceeds of this account can then be paid to you for both of us to share the money: 60% to me and 40% to you. I can get all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up the claim.

I will provide you with more information on this as we progress. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us to see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please contact me via fax, phone or email asap.

Yours Sincerely,

John Aboh.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam