419 scam: "Mr Robert Lee"<postmaster@localhost.com> VISA-MASTER CREDIT CARD INTERNAL

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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:
- "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
- ",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)
- "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
1. They don't notify winners by email.
2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
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.
- greg_adams112@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Robert Lee" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <greg_adams112@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 17:46:44 +0800
Subject: VISA-MASTER CREDIT CARD INTERNAL

VISA-MASTER CREDIT CARD INTERNAL
Our Ref:-9X0UE3X
Your Ref: SxK60021

Ref: Payment of $1.5 million approval.

Attention Beneficiary,

We received instruction few days ago from our correspondence in Illionis
(VISA-MASTER CREDIT CARD INTERNAL) to transfer your Award Prize Payment
fund valued sum of $1.5 million into your account which we are on the
process to open an online banking account on your name and forward to you
the account information so that you can access your fund into your regular
account in your country, this award was sponsored by VISA-MASTER CREDIT
CARD INTERNATIONAL for new year bonanza to encourage online banking around
the World. (No Ticket Were Sold).

You receive this notification because your email address is active online,
a random selection of valid email addresses was conducted by our computter
ballot system with 1,000,000 email addresses around the World, your email
address emerge as one of the lucky winner, as a result you receive this
email from us. if you are the owner of this active email please send us a
return email to let us know that you want to claim this prize.

You are advice to send your the following information to our claim agent
below:

1. YOUR FULL NAME.
2. YOUR TELEPHONE.
3. FAX.
4. AGE.
5. SEX.
6. YOUR OCCUPATION.
7. YOUR ADDRESS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR CLAIM CONTACT OUR AGENT BELOW:

Name: Mr Greg Adams
Email:greg_adams112@yahoo.com

We and members of our staff congratulate you once again for this award,

Your Sincerely,
Mr Robert Lee
VISA-MASTER CREDIT CARD.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam