419 scam: "Thomas Phillips" <kelvintan@segi.edu.my> ****Hello*****

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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:

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:
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- ",500,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
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.
- lawsuite02@ciudad.com.ar (Ciudad, Argentina; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: lawfirmchambersuits@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2014 00:08:30 +0800
Subject: ****Hello*****

I am Barr.Thomas Philips, a lawyer by profession. I am soliciting your
involvement in a deal that will be of great mutual benefits between both of
us. Therefore, I am contacting you in order to assist in transferring the
money and property left behind by my late client before they get
confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank.Your assistance is
important and urgent because of the commercial banks where my late client
had a domiciliary account valued for Nine Million, Five Hundred Thousand
United States Dollars only (US$9,500,000.00) has already issued me a notice
to provide his Next of Kin or have the account confiscated within the next
30 days.

I shall prepare legal documentations that will enable you have 40% of the
total sum, which amount to US$3,800,000.00; be also assured that this deal
is 100% risk free.Email me here for confidentiality
at;lawsuite02@ciudad.com.ar

Yours truly,
Barr. Thomas Philips
Advocates & Solicitors

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam