419 scam: "Mr.Patrick Joseph" <mrpatricko8@gmail.com> I am still expecting to hear from you

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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)
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "with absolute secrecy" (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.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Patrick Joseph" <mrpatricko8@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrpatrickj06@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 17:16:12 +0800
Subject: I am still expecting to hear from you

Dear Friend,

I am sorry for this interruption. I have no other way to reach you than these ways if the contents here under are contrary to your moral ethics. Please accept my apology, but please treat with absolute secrecy and personal.

With due regards, my name is Mr.Patrick Joseph,a banker by profession in Burkina Faso and currently holding the post of Director Auditing and Accounting unit of my bank.

There is a draft account opened in my bank in 1998 by a long-time client of our bank,a national of your country.He was a CEO/ a retail company Promodès, business man,a miner at Kruger mining company here in Burkina Faso, he was also a geologist and

a mining consultant to several other mining conglomerates operating in Cambodia, china, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam all in Asia.

Before he passed away on the 6 December 2002 by plane crash with his wife and two children,and leaving nobody as the representative of his account after his death. The amount in this account is currently $16,5m I want to present you as the representative I will use my position and influence in our bank to make sure they release this money to you for us to share.

I agree that 40% of this money will be for you as a respect to the provision of a foriegn account ,10% will be set aside for expenses incurred during the business and 50% would be for me.

You should contact me immediately as soon as you receive this letter.

Trusting to hear from you immediately.

Thanks
Mr.Patrick Joseph

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam