419 scam: Arsil Bentin<bugsbunny23405@gmail.com> kindly read and respond

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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)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: Arsil Bentin<bugsbunny23405@gmail.com>
Reply-To: ars.bentin@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2017 02:47:29 +1300
Subject: kindly read and respond

I write in good faith and trust that you will take a moment to consider the contents of this letter. I am Arsil Bentin, Head of Internal Audits of a Financial Institution in the United Kingdom. While performing my Official Duty, I discovered the sum of US$65,500,000 (Sixty Five Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) floating in an account opened in 1999, which belongs to one Mr. K. P. Boulos, who died in 2007. Every effort made to track any member of his family has since failed because the deceased died leaving no heir or a will in his file.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam