419 scam: "Mr. Mark Richards"<crystaljan1@aol.com> Get back to me for more details on this transaction

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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:
- "million dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- ",000,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "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)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Mark Richards" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <richardmark569@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 16 May 2012 00:37:03 -0700
Subject: Get back to me for more details on this transaction

My Name is Mr Mark Richards the the Branch Manager of the Intercontental Bank Plc, Lagos-Island Nigeria. I have an urgent and very confidential business proposition for you. On Feb. 27, 2009, a British Oil Consultant/contractor who work with Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) here in Nigeria, (Name deliberately with held) made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at US$10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Dollars) in my branch. Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding dress but got no reply.After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers, the British Shell Oil Mining Corporation, that the depositor died from an automobile accident in London. On further investigation, I found out that he died without making a WILL and all attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless. I therefore made further investigation and discovered that the depositor did not declare any kin or r
elations in all his official docu

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam