419 scam: "Mr Thomas Cole"<barr.thomas_cole@voila.fr> Dear Friend I Need Your Assistance.

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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "huge deposit" (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 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)
- "keep it 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)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
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.
- barr.thomas_cole3@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Thomas Cole" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barr.thomas_cole3@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2012 20.32.54 +0200
Subject: Dear Friend I Need Your Assistance.

Dear Friend,

I presume this letter will come to you as a surprise,but as things unfold,we will know each other better.I will start by introducing myself to you.My name is Barrister Thomas Cole a solicitor at law.

I am writing in respect of a foreigner Mr Robert Rice,who happens to be my client an oil merchant and contractor who perished in a plane crash of 31st October 1999 [WITH EGYPTIAN AIRLINE 990] with other passengers aboard .

http://www.cnn.com/US/9910/31/egyptair.03/

Since the demise of my client I personally have searched with keen interest to see the next of kin but all has proved abortive as no one has come to claim his funds of US$48.5m(Fourty Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollar) and all the relevant documents in the bank has no record of any next of kin. On this note, I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as his next of kin so I have contacted you to assist in repatriating most especially, the money left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where the huge deposits were lodged.

Particularly, the Zenith Bank Plc where the deceased had an account valued at about Usd28.5 million dollars has issued me a notice to provide the Next of kin, or have the account confiscated.

I seek your consent to present you as the Next of kin of the deceased,I need somebody who is trustworthy and willing to assist me get the funds transfered.Which the account which my late client operate is valued at Usd28.5 million dollars can be paid to you, as my clients Next of Kin, and then we can share the amount on a mutual agreed percentage.

All legal documents to back up your claim as the deceased Next of Kin will be provided. All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law and you should endeavor to keep it confidential.

Please get in touch with me at (barr.thomas_cole3@yahoo.com) to enable us discuss further about this transaction.

Regards,

Thomas Cole

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam