419 scam: "GREETINGS.."<tomasfontana985@yahoo.com.hk> RE: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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "the consignment" (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)
- "trunk box" (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)
- "consignment " (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)
- "million united states 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)
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "@lawyer.com" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +34603353351 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- tomas.fontana@lawyer.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "GREETINGS.." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <Tomas.Fontana@lawyer.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2012 00:36:18 +0200
Subject: RE:GREETINGS..

Dear Sir/Madam,

Compliments of the season to you. I know we have not met before, but my proposal calls for an emergency alert which gives me no room for much protocol but to hit directly. My name is Barr. Tomas Fontana (Esq.) of Tomas Fontana Chambers & Associates. There is a client of mine, a Syrian who was killed along with his family during the Syrian protest against the Government. His name is Mr. Yamin Ourfali from Allepo District in Syria, an oil business magnate who worked for National Oil Corporation in Syria for many years until his death.

Before his death during the civil war in Syria, he deposited two trunk box containing the sum of USD $8M (Eight Million United States Dollars) and 1000 Carats of Uncut Diamond known to me in April 13th 2009, in a confided Safe Security Company here in Spain. Recently as I was checking his documents file with me in my office and from my enquiries and investigations from the Safe Security Company, I discovered that he has no next of kin registered to claim this consignment due to some high co-operate security secrecy surrounding the consignment.

Furthermore, it is also unknown to the Safe Security Company the real content of the deposited consignment with them as cash; he did not declared the content of the two boxes as foreign currency but as Diplomatic Documents and Confidential Co-operate Treasure/ Valuable documents which we must uphold in the process of filling the claim of this consignment. As his representing legal adviser and the only legal person known to the Safe Security Company, I have in my custody all the legal deposit documents that cover this deposit which I will immediately use your personal details to replace as the next of kin and business co-operate to late Yasmin Ourfali.

Upon receipt of your response, I will immediately tender to the Security Company a letter informing them to immediate release the deposited consignment in your name as the heir inheritor/next of kin and business co-operate to late Mr. Tasmin Ourfali. Therefore, to make this effective, I required that you forward to me your full contact details, such as

1) Your Full Names
2) Your direct phone/Fax Numbers
3) Your Age and Sex
4) Your Occupations
5) Your Religion
6) Your Date of birth
7) Your Contact address
On your arrival in Spain we will move the fund to the bank for onward transfer to your designated bank account outside Spain. I want you to also maintain absolute secrecy and confidential of this message as a matured business person with high confidential integrity. If you are not capable of handling this fund, do not disclose it to any other person as this is very important and once in a life time business opportunity for me.
We will discuss on sharing percentage as soon as I hear from you.

Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Tomas Fontana
Dir. Tel: +34 -603-353-351
Email:Tomas.Fontana@lawyer.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam