419 scam: "John D. Adom" <stefanov@e-card.bg> I NEED YOUR URGENT RESPONSE

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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:
- "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)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
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.
- adom_john@linuxmail.org (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "John D. Adom" <stefanov@e-card.bg>
Reply-To: john-adom5050@outlook.com
Date: Sun, 17 Jul 2016 15:34:39 -0700
Subject: I NEED YOUR URGENT RESPONSE

--
Hello Dear

I Am Mr John Adom , a banker here in Ghana . I write you this proposal
in good faith hoping that I will rely on you. In 2010, Mr Richard
Branson who has your country in his file as his place of origin, made a
fixed deposit , valued at US$15,200,000.00 with my bank. I was his
account officer. Unfortunately, while on a business trip, he died in a
deadly Tsunami earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011 in Sendai
Japan that killed many people.

The management of our bank have been finding a means to reach him so as
ascertain if he will want to roll over the Deposit or have the contract
sum withdraw , when I discovered that this will happen, I learn t of his
death, so I have tried to think up a procedure to preserve this fund and
use the proceed for charity. Some directors have been trying to find out
from me the information about this account and the owner, but I have
kept it closed because, I know that if they become aware, they will
corner the funds for themselves.

Therefore, I am seeking your co-operation to present you as the one to
benefit from his fund at his death since you are from the same country
with him, so that my bank head quarters will pay the funds to you. I
have done enough inside bank arrangement and only have to put in your
details into the information network in the bank computers and reflect
you as his next of kin.

I immensely request for your optimum honesty and cooperation and Let me
know your mind on this, and please do treat this information as Top
secrete. We shall go over the details once I receive your urgent
response strictly through my personal email address,
adom_john@linuxmail.org we can as well discuss this on phone. Send me
your phone number for easy communication anticipating your
communication.

Best Regards,
Mr.John Adom

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam