419 scam: "Austin A. Duke" <guenther.frank@freenet.de> Strictly Between us Alone

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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Austin A. Duke" <guenther.frank@freenet.de>
Reply-To: anthonyduke6@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 21:57:25 -0700
Subject: Strictly Between us Alone

Dear Friend,

I'm a personal attorney to an foreign national and a consultant with Oil/Gas firm, (Now deceased) He passed away in the china earthquake in 2008. Years ago, He successfully executed a contract here worth Eighteen Million Three Hundred Thousand dollars. A part payment of Nine million dollars was paid to my client, while the balance of Nine million Three Hundred Thousand Dollars was still unpaid before he died in the sichuan china earthquake on his vacation. Until his sudden demise, He was not married.

Government is currently paying all foreign contractors who have successfully executed their contracts and my client is among those benefited in the payment schedule which has already been deposited in his bank. As his Lawyer, the bank has officially notified me to forward particulars of my client's existing Next of Kin with notarized papers within the next 14 working days so that he/she can be paid the outstanding balance of Nine Million Three Hundred Thousand dollars.

Since all my efforts has been unsuccessful to locate any of his relatives since 2008, I decided to contact you for a deal so that we can work together to approve the money to you as my client next of kin since I do not want to seat back and watch his hard earned entitlement to go astray.

Once I hear from you I shall forward the details and the sharing ratio of the fund. kindly reply strictly with your personal Telephone number for one on one communication on how to proceed.

Sincerely,

Austin A. Duke

Esq.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam