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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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.

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.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "into 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)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (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.
  • hartmutrbenz@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mr Hartmut Ronald Benz<hartmutrbenz@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:36:18 -1200
Subject: INHERITANCE (YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND SINCERE PARTICIPATION NEEDED)

Legitimate Transaction and Proposition


I have picked-up courage and trust to forward this letter with divine confidence that you are a reliable and honest
person capable of handling this important business proposal believing also that you will never let me down either now
or in the future.I am Mr Hartmut Ronald Benz,a German and a private audit consultant with the Natwest Bank here in the
UK. There is an account opened in this bank in 1997 and since 2003 nobody has operated on this account it has been
dormant thereafter.After going through records, I discovered that if I do not remit this money out urgently it would be
forfeited to the government as an unserviceable /dormant account. The owner of this account was late Dr. N. H. B. El
Halabi, a foreigner,he was an associate miner at Kruger Gold Company,a geologist by profession,and he died 2003 in a
plane crash. No one is believed to have any knowledge of details of this bank account since it remained dormant after
his death.


From my findings during auditing at the end of last fiscal year, the deceased did not leave a will and no indication of
a next of kin and as such has no beneficiary and my investigation proved to me last employers' does not have knowledge
of this account which is total sum of nineteen million, three hundred and fifty thousand United States
dollars.[US$19,350,000.00]


I wish to transfer this fund into a safe foreign account abroad. I am contacting you based on the fact that you are a
foreigner because the claim of this fund will only be approved for payment to a foreigner.I know that this proposal will
come to you as a surprise as we don't have fore knowledge of each other. I therefore implore that you treat this as
important as can be to enable us achieve the claim of the funds.It is a deal I will like to run with someone as
trustworthy as you,thus prompting me to search and retrieve your contact email from a trade consultant here in France,
though I did not disclose the purpose of my seeking for a foreign business partner to the consultant.


I have involved a very senior official in the remittance department of my establishment, and we have agreed that after
the transfer of the fund into your designated bank account, you shall be entitled to 30% of the total sum, my colleagues
and I will have 60% while 10% will be used to reimburse all expenses incurred by all parties during the transaction.All
necessary precautions have been taken to ensure a risk free situation on the side of both parties.Please note that this
deal can only take place on the following conditions:


1. You will provide the bank account and other relevant particulars information for easy and onward Remittance of the
funds.

2. Absolute confidentiality and sincerity will be required and guaranteed, considering our positions in the bank.

3. Assurance that our share of 60% will be released to us in good faith when this funds finally gets into your nominated
bank account.From my estimates, this transaction will be within 10 working days as soon as we hear from you. Please
treat with utmost confidentiality.


Expecting your immediate response via my private email [hartmutrbenz@yahoo.com.hk]. It is very important that you send
me an email via my private email for the reason of confidentiality.



Yours Faithfully,
Mr Hartmut Ronald Benz

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam