419 scam: "Mr. Fredrick Bernard"<fredrickbrnrd@gmail.com> Your Kindest Attention

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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:
- "million 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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "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)
This email message is a next of kin 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.
- bernardfredrick72@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Fredrick Bernard" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <bernardfredrick72@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 1 May 2024 08:51:34 -0600
Subject: Your Kindest Attention

Greetings,
I hope this email finds you in good faith. I am writing about one of our clients who unfortunately died in a plane crash, leaving a large sum of funds worth One Hundred and Twenty-Five Million United States dollars only($125,000,000.00) without a will or any next of kin.
Please read: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm
In regard to the above information, the Government of South African wanted to seize the funds as unclaimed. I and my colleague in the bank decided to move the funds to Europe. We need your assistance as a foreigner, whom we can trust to go and claim the funds in Europe for our sharing and investments purposes.
Please, If you are willing to assist, do reply me as soon as possible through this email: bernardfredrick72@gmail.com
Best regards,
Mr. Fredrick Bernard.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam