419 scam: "Thomas Douglas (Esq.)" <thomas-dauglas@live.com> READ WITH UNDERSTANDING

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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.
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.
- thomasdauglasesq@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Thomas Douglas (Esq.)" <thomas-dauglas@live.com>
Reply-To: thomasdauglasesq@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2011 22:47:53 +0100
Subject: READ WITH UNDERSTANDING

Attn Friend:

READ WITH UNDERSTANDING:

I am Thomas Douglas (Esq.) Attorney and secretary to my late deceased
client of Gulf Stream crude oil,Prior to his unexpected death in
August 2008 deposited $20.5M USD on trust with a Bank. Eventually, he
died in a plane crash and since his death; nobody has applied for the
claims of his estate as the next of kin because he died interstate.

It is a situation I have monitored closely. Now having monitored this
deposit and managed it over the years before his death and hence
nobody has showed up as the next of kin for the past years.

I now solicit for your assistance to present you as the next of kin as
every other arrangement has been concluded by me.I am only waiting for
a foreigner to take possession of the deposit. There is no risk
attached to it as the entire document required for claims will be
obtained legally by me as his proxy.

I cannot make claim regarding the funds, all I have to do is to donate
somebody as his next of kin and beneficiary to make claim of the said
fund for us to share as Partners. I therefore request you to confirm
your interest by a return message and I will forward details and more
information on how to go about the subject matter.

To facilitate a rather more secured link with you, kindly indulge me
with the following:

1). Full Names, sex and Address
2). Telephone, Fax and Cell phone numbers.

This project is ready for execution as soon as I hear from you and i
will give you more details regarding the project as soon as possible.
I look forward to your swift response to this letter,please reply to
this my private email below.

Email:thomasdauglasesq@yahoo.com.hk

Sincerely Yours.
Thomas Douglas (Esq.)
Principal Partner (Thomas Douglas & Associates)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam