419 scam: " Mr Smith Lee"<info@leesmith.com.my> I am Mr Smith Lee

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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.
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: " Mr Smith Lee" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <smith_lee743@yahoo.com.my>
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:58:16 +0800
Subject: I am Mr Smith Lee

Hello

I am Mr Smith Lee, a citizen of Malaysia .I am writing to seek your assistance in collecting my money from a contact in America. some years back i made some investment in the America.

I have ask that the investment be liquidate and the money transferred to me so i could inject the funds into business here in Malaysia, which has be badly affected for the past years due to the economic recession.

But i was told by the contact, that for one reason and the other that they have a new policy not to transfer funds out of America for now.

Meanwhile, i wanted to travel to America to get the funds myself, but my doctor advice against it ,that due to my present state of health i can not make such a long distance trip.So i was told to provide an account in the America or Someone to receive the funds on my behalf.

Please let me know if you can received the funds on my behalf and forward to me as this does not require any form of expertise or expenses from your end.I just need someone with high integrity and You shall be entitle to 13% of the money you receive and forward me the balance 87%,PLEASE NOTE ,I AM NOT ASKING ANY MONEY FROM YOU NEITHER AM I ASKING YOU TO SPEND A CENT FROM YOUR POCKET.

Let me know if you can handle this so that i forward you the information of the contact and make arrangement on how to receive the funds.

Regards
Mr Smith Lee

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam