419 scam: "Greetings!"<programs-online@live.co.uk> Greetings!

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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:
- "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 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.
- axafinancesec@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Greetings!" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <axafinancesec@aim.com>
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2011 18:34:28 +0200
Subject: Greetings!

Greetings!

I am Sarah T. Cole the Personal Assistant {P.A} to a Director of one of U.K's
biggest bank based here in Scotland-United Kingdom. My boss {Name Withheld}
has advised that I should contact you on a multi-Million business-deal transaction
that will be mutually beneficial to all parties involved.

Please be re-assured that everything about this business will be done through the
Legal channels and your involvement in this business will NOT breach any local or
international laws, as we have all legal documents to back up the payment of this
money into your designated bank account in a very short while.

We shall obliged you full details and copies of my boss International passport,
bank I.D and also the web link to see my boss resumes and profiles, meanwhile,
we urge you to keep this offer very confidential and secret. For a start, send
to us by e-mail now the following:-

Your Full Names:-

Contact Street Address:-

Age:-

Profession:-

Nationality:-

Your private e-mail address:-

As it is said the taste of the pudding is in the eating, so give this business a
positive consideration, please reply Now.

Sarah T. Cole.
{Scotland-U.K
axafinancesec@aim.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam