419 scam: "Mr Liu Tang" <liut@hsbank.org> Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.

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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)
- "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "with your full names" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "to your nominated bank account" (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 us 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)
- "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
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.
- mrliut@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Liu Tang" <liut@hsbank.org>
Reply-To: mrliut@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Tue, 28 May 2013 04:09:48 +0200
Subject: Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.

Dear Friend,

Let me start by introducing myself.I am Mr Liu Tang director of operations
of the Hang Seng Bank Ltd HongKong.I have an obscured business suggestion
for you. Before the U.S and Iraqi war our client Major Fadi Basem who was
with the Iraqi forces and also businessman, made a numbered fixed deposit
for 18 calendar months, with a value of( $16 million, Sixteen million US
dollars) only in my branch.Upon maturity several notices was sent to him,
even during the war which began in 2003. Again after the war another
notification was sent and still no response came from him. We later found
out that the General along with his wife and only daughter had been killed
during the war in a bomb blast that hit their home. After further
investigation it was also discovered that Major Fadi Basem did not declare
any next of kin in his official papers including the paper work of his
bank deposit. And he also confided in me the last time he was at my office
that no one except me knew of his deposit in my bank. So,( $16 million,
Sixteen million US dollars ) is still lying in my bank and no one will
ever come forward to claim it. What bothers me most is that according to
the laws of my country at the expiration 10 years the funds will revert to
the ownership of the Hong Kong Government if nobody applies to claim the
funds. Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you
as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to Major Fadi Basem so that you
will be able to receive his funds.

MODALITIES:

I want you to know that I have had everything planned out so that we shall
come out successful. I have an attorney that will prepare the necessary
document that will back you up as the next of kin to Major Fadi Basem, all
that is required from you at this stage is for you to provide me with your
Full Names so that the attorney can commence his job. After you have been
made the next of kin, the attorney will also fill in for claims on your
behalf and secure the necessary approval and of probate in your favour for
the move of the funds to an account that will be provided by you.There is
no risk involved at all in this matter, as we are going to adopt a
legalized method and the attorney will prepare all the necessary Please
endeavor to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this
issue. Once the funds have been transferred to your nominated bank account
we shall then share in the ratio of 70% for me, 30% for you. Should you be
interested please send me your, 1,Full names,2,private phone number,
3,current residential address, your age. And I will prefer you reach me on
my private email address below: ( mrliut@yahoo.com.hk ) and finally
after that I shall provide you with more details of this operation and it
is going to be successful.

Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.

Regards,
Mr Liu Tang.

Anti-fraud resources:

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