419 scam: Bank of China <rachada@hotmail.com> Re: Urgent !

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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:
- "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "with your full names" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "might come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "to 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)
- "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
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.
- liuyan.mails@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Bank of China <rachada@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: liuyan.mails@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:58:31 -0500
Subject: Re: Urgent !

Bank of China Ltd.
13/F. Bank of China Tower1 Garden Road
Hong Kong.

This message might come to you as a surprise. However,
it all just my urgent need for a foreign partner that made
me to contact you for this transaction.
I got your contact from yahoo tourist search while I was
searching for a foreign partner.

I am Mr. Liu Yan a transfer operations supervisor in
investment section at Bank of China Ltd. Secretariat of
the BOCHK Charitable Foundation 13/F. Bank of
China Tower, 1 Garden Road, Hong Kong. I have an obscured
business suggestion for you. Before the U.S and Iraqi
war our client General Mohammed Jassim Ali who works with
the Iraqi forces and also a business man made a numbered
fixed deposit for 18 calendar months, with a value of
(I will disclose amount upon your reply) in my branch.

Upon maturity several notices was sent to him, even early
in the war, again after the war another notification was
sent and still no response came from him.
We later found out that General Mohammed Jassim Ali and his
family had been killed during the war in a bomb blast that hit their home.
After further investigation it was also discovered that
General Mohammed Jassim Ali did not declare any next of
kin in his official papers including the
paper work of his bank deposit. And he also confided in me
the last time he was at my office that no one except me knew
of his deposit in my bank. So, (I will disclose amount upon
your reply) is still lying in my bank and no one will ever
come forward to claim it. What bothers me most is that,
according to the laws of my country at the expiration 3 years
the funds will revert to the ownership of the Hong Kong
Government if nobody applies to claim the funds.

Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will
like you as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to General
Mohammed Jassim Ali so that you will be able to receive his funds.
I want you to know that I have had everything planned out so
that we shall come out successful.

I have contacted an attorney who will prepare the legal documents
that will back you up as the next of kin to General Mohammed
Jassim Ali, all what is required from you at this stage is for
you to provide me with your Full Names, private phone number
and Address so that the attorney can commence his job.

After you have been made the next of kin, the attorney will
also fill in for claims on your behalf and secure the necessary
approval and letter of probate in your favor for the transfer
of the funds to an account that will be provided by you with my
guidance.There is no risk involved at all in the matter as we
are going to adopt a legalized method and the attorney will
prepare all the necessary documents.
Please endeavor to observe utmost discretion in all matters
concerning this issue. Once the funds have been transferred
to your nominated bank account we shall discuss the percentage
issue on your reply.

If you are interested please send me a mail on (liuyan.mails@yahoo.com.hk)
and your full names and current residential address, and I will prefer
you to reach me on my private and secure email address and finally
after that I shall provide you with more details of this operation.

Kind Regards
Liu Yan.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam