419 scam: "Mr.James Smith"<admin@maxemil.com.tw> From the desk of Mr.James Smith

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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "requires utmost trust" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
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.
- documentationoffice76@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.James Smith" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <honourgod25@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2013 07:34:48 -0800
Subject: From the desk of Mr.James Smith

>From the desk of Mr.James Smith
United Bank For Africa plc
Private Email:documentationoffice76@yahoo.com

I am Mr.James Smith, Executive Director, Account, Treasury and
international Operations of United Bank For Africa plc, I am contacting you
to stand as the next of kin to my late customer Mr. Kurt Kahle who hales
from Germany, Mr. Kurt Kahle has an escrow account with our bank for years
now, on our auditing week I discovered an abandoned sum of (USD14 Million)
that was in one of his account with out claim since his death.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm

Kurt Klaus Kahle, 51, died in the crash at Haberstock Munich with his
37-year-old wife and son Michael, aged eight.He is a private business
investor, Mr. Kurt Kahle has an escrow account with our bank (United Bank
For Africa plc) Value 14 million usd, I have contacted you to assist in
securing this money before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by
the bank.

Attempts has been made twice by Government Agency to confiscate this
account since the expiration of the five years, if not for my intervention
as the head account and audit dept and that is the reason i request of a
foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that
the customer was a foreigner and after the successful transfer of this
funds 14 million usd you will be entitled to 45% of the total sum, 50% for
me and the balance of 5% will be used to reimburse our selves for expenses
that we may incur in this transaction.

Note that this transaction requires utmost trust sincerity and
confidentiality. Do get back to me only through my private
email:documentationoffice76@yahoo.com and this information below to enable me
draft a text of application that you will need to submit to the bank
applying as the next of kin to Mr.Kurt Kahle.

Full Name:.................................
Age:........................................
Phone Number:..................................
Fax:............................................
Address:.........................................
Sex:..............................................
Occupation:........................................

I will be expecting an email from you to confirm the acceptance of this
transaction and to confirm the acknowledgment of the proposal.Thanks and
have a pleasant day.

Best regards,
Mr.James Smith

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam