419 scam: "Mr. Fredrick Gunn"<fredgunn105@sify.com> Urgent and Important..

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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "hundred thousand us 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)
- "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)
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Fredrick Gunn" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fred_gunn103@sify.com>
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:24:55 -0100
Subject: Urgent and Important..

Dear Sir/Madam,

I will appreciate your urgent response to my email and I assure you that this business transaction will surely improve our lives and that of all those around us. I am Mr. Fredrick Gunn; I work in the Auditing Operation Department of a Security Firm.. I believe and feel quite safe revealing this important business and will be glad to execute it with you if you are capable.

My assurance to you is that this transaction is 100% risk free to both parties. I am only contacting you who are a foreigner because the Security Company is going to welcome you if I present you as the benefactor that has correct information/details about the said deposit.

During my last momentary auditing, I discovered that Rafik Bahaa Edine Hariri made Safe Deposit in our Security Company which he left no beneficiary. My investigation revealed to me as well that his company and family do not know anything about this particular deposit, and this deposit has been dormant since 2005 because nobody knows that such deposit exists, hence I contacted you.

The amount is US$14,700,000.00 (Fourteen Million Seven Hundred Thousand US Dollars Only) and this fund will be released to you if you can co-operate with me. I need your full co-operation to make this work fine.

Being a top executive at Security Firm, I have all secret details and necessary information /contacts for release of the said funds with no encumbrance. If you can handle this transaction for our joint benefit, please get back to me so that we can proceed further, as what is required now is to register you as the Benefactor so that the fund will be released to you.

I will also use my position to influence and effect legal approvals and immediate release of the funds into your account with appropriate clearance from department concerned. NOTE: Your business status does not matter in this transaction, what matters is your ability to handle the amount of this magnitude.

As soon as the transfer is concluded, you will retain some percentage of the fee as compensation for your assistance.

Await your urgent response

Yours faithfully,

Fredrick Gunn.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam