419 scam: "Mr. Bob Chen"<bobchen.commercialbank@aol.com> Dear Friend,

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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "industrial and commercial bank of china" (not involved with lotteries)
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "huge sum of money" (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)
- "to your nominated bank account" (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: "Mr. Bob Chen"<bobchen.commercialbank@aol.com>
Reply-To: bbbchen01@hotmail.com
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2022 17:53:18 -0800
Subject: Dear Friend,

Mr. Bob Chen
Vice President & Branch Manager
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (USA) NA
Hacienda Heights Branch
17180 Colima Road,
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745, USA

Dear Friend,

Good day, I am Mr. Bob Chen, Vice President & Branch Manager,
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (USA) NA, Hacienda Heights
Branch, California and I am contacting you based on Trust and
confidentiality that will be attached to this transaction.

The Management and the Legal department of our bank (Industrial and
Commercial Bank of China (USA) NA) in a recent meeting recommended
that the account of late Mr. Ron Bramlage, who was one of my branch
depositor, should be declared Dormant, confiscated and the depositor's
fund sent to the Bank Treasury according to U.S.A Banking and
financial law. Late Ron Bramlage died on 7th June 2012 in a plane
crash with his family of six (6), his wife and four (4) children, all
died in an ill fated crash on that fateful day. The bank having made
several efforts to contact any of his relatives to claim this money
but without success decided to confiscate the fund and declare it public fund.

You can read more from these websites:
1. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2157266/Florida-plane-crash-Body-Boston-Bramlage-13-discovered-falling-plane-crashed.html

Late Mr. Ron Bramlage was an account holder in my branch; he owns a
dollar account with a huge sum of money deposited in a Secret account
with my branch. In fact, since his death, no next of kin of the
account holder nor any relative of him has shown up for the claim of
this fund, this is because he has the account as a secret account thus
he left all the documents for the deposit with me as his account
officer and financial advisor.

This is where I am interested and where I want you to come in, I want
you to come in as a relative of the deceased; do not bother that you
are not in any way related to him because I am in position to affix
your name as the next of kin to the deceased and no one will question
it since I am the officer in charge of the account. I will give you
the relevant documents and contacts to file the application and then I
will effect the approvals for the transfer of the fund to your
nominated bank account. I will be the one to provide the vital
documents for the claims of the money and then advise you exactly how
we should handle it.

Please include your telephone number when replying this mail so I can
call to give you more information as soon as you indicate your
willingness to assist in this transaction. The whole Procedures will
last only 9 working days to get the fund retrieved successfully
without trace even in future. After the transfer of the money to your
nominated bank account, we shall share the money 60-40.that is I will
have 60% while you will have 40%.

Kindly respond promptly so that I can advice you on what next to do.

I will be waiting to hear from you.
Yours truly,

Bob Chen
Vice President & Branch Manager,
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (USA) NA

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam