419 scam: smithknuck19 <smithknuck19@163.com> BUSINESS PROPOSAL.

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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.
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)
- "is highly 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)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
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.
- +447035901778 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
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.
- smithknuck@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: smithknuck19 <smithknuck19@163.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Aug 2013 02:49:42 +0800 (CST)
Subject: BUSINESS PROPOSAL.

Smith knuck & Co
4 LOMBARD STREET
LONDON, EC3V 9HD, England
smithknuck@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: +44 70 35 90 17 78

Hands of Hans,

First of all, I would like to ask for your confidence in this transaction, which is highly confidential and top secret. I know that transactions of this size, can make any anxious and worried, but I assure you that in the end everything will go well.

I'll Begin by me to introduce myself properly. You will surely be surprised to have received this letter because we never met us before. My name is Mr.Smith
knuck, a financial officer and lawyer of the late Mr. Hans Gustav

My intention to contact you, is your participation to ensure that money paid by the deceased customer, to avoid that it is seized or cleared by the state. Where this money was paid to the value of 9.7 million Dollars from the deceased before he died. He died with his entire family in a car crash accident. Since he did not know that it would happen this accident, he could not continue bequeath well-earned money.

The bank has given me the job a successor from the family to contact you before the money becomes the property of the state. Despite all the effort to find someone who is in relationship with the deceased, the search was unsuccessful.

For this reason, I have contacted them. Actually, I ask for your consent to represent the Bank as successor relatives / owner of the money of our deceased customer, since you have the same last name and therefore the amount can be paid to you.

All legal documents you need to get right to the money as relatives of the deceased person, I'll give them a legal way. All I need is a safe Corporation to facilitate this transaction. I would suggest that 20% of the money will be donated to charities, while the remaining 80% are evenly distributed to both of us. I want to ensure you that this order is completely risk free. I will use my position as a financial officer who passed the order to successfully complete this transaction.

PLEASE FOR PRIVATE AND SECURITY REASONS,REPLY ME VIA EMAIL:(smithknuck@yahoo.co.uk) The planned transaction is carried out under an authorized arrangement, which contributes to their protection. If this does not match your business life morality, then I ask you to pardon and forget about this letter. However, if they want to achieve this goal with me, then I ask you to contact me for more details.

With kind regards,
Mr.Smith knuck.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam