419 scam: "Clement Lau"<info@microsoft.co.uk> Treat As Immediate..!

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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 state 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)
- "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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Clement Lau" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <clement.lau1@yandex.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2019 20:07:10 -0000
Subject: Treat As Immediate..!

Hello,

I am Mr.Clement Lau Executive Director, Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA).

I am contacting your regarding a deposit made by a customer. He was an oil Magnate that lived in Hong Kong for about ten years. He passed on with his immediate family in a ghastly motor accident in the City Of Guangzhou in May 2009, without appointing a beneficiary to his estate.

Before the above mentioned ugly catastrophe that cause his death, a lump sum deposit of $47,100,000.00 (Forty Seven Million One Hundred Thousand USD) was placed under my bank's custody for safe keeping. I want you to understand that during my bank end of year audit 2018, there was a board decision that all unclaimed fund and inheritance should be declared bad claims to enable the bank to relocate itself against accumulated debts. During my responsibility, I discovered this money was left unclaimed ever since.

After further investigation it was also discovered that the customer did not declare any beneficiary in his official papers including the paper work of his bank deposit. So, Forty Seven Million One Hundred Thousand United State Dollars is still lying in my bank and no one will ever come forward to claim it. What bothers me is that according to the laws of my country at the expiration of ten years six months the funds will revert to the ownership of the Hong Kong Government if nobody applies to claim the funds.

My proposal to you is that I am prepared to front you as the sole beneficiary of my deceased client so that I can instruct my bank HKMA to release the deposit to you as the closest surviving relation or business partner. I want you to know all phase of this transaction will be done in a legal means that would keep us far from trouble. I have access to every document that would register you as the beneficiary of the fund. My anticipated percentages for sharing shall be fair enough 50/50. I await your feedback, so I can furnish you with the necessary details to get started.

Your earliest reply will be appreciated.

Yours Truly,
Mr. Clement Lau

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What can you do when you receive 419 spam