419 scam: "Mr.Mark Miller" <katosky012@gmail.com> Contact My Secretary For Your award Compensation Payment Of $3,500.000!!!

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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)
This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" 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.
- mikedukesr2@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Mark Miller" <katosky012@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mikedukesr2@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 1 Dec 2020 13:14:52 +0100
Subject: Contact My Secretary For Your award Compensation Payment Of $3,500.000!!!

My Dear Friend,

How are you today coupled with life? I am overwhelmed with joy to inform
you about my success in getting the fund transferred under the cooperation
of the new partner from Australia. Presently I'm in Australia for
investment projects with my own share of the total sum.

Meanwhile, I didn't forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me in
the realization of this endeavor despite the fact that it failed us somehow
because you find it hard to believe me at that time due to one reason or
the other.

Contact my secretary, his name is Mr Michael Duke and his email address is
mikedukesr2@hotmail.com, ask him to send you the total sum of $3.500.000
in Atm VISA CARD, which I kept for you as compensation for all the past
efforts and attempts to assist me in this endeavor. I appreciate your time
and efforts as at that time very much. So feel free and get in touch with
my secretary and instruct him where to send the ATM CARD to you.

Please do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share the
joy after all the doubt and fear as at that time. Many of life's failures
are people who do not realize how close they were to success, when they
gave up. As at the moment, I am very busy here because of the investment
projects which I and the new partner are having at hand.

Finally, remember that I had forwarded instruction to the secretary on
your behalf . So feel free to get in touch with him and he will send the
CARD to you without delay.

Best regards,

Mr. Mark Miller

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam