419 scam: MARTHA PUI-YIU CHEUNG <marthach@hkbu.edu.hk> Urgent Proposal

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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:
- "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "with your full names" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "huge sum of money" (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)
- "million united states 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)
- "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.

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: alanatalanstreet@dr.com
Date: Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:48:28 +0100
Subject: Urgent Proposal

I am Mr. Alan Street, An Auditor of a Bank here in Thailand. and I am contacting you on a business transfer of a huge sum of money from a deceased account. I discovered an abandoned sum of (US$7.4 Million United States dollars in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family. We have made several inquiries to his high commission to locate any of my clients extended Relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his last name over the Internet, to locate any member of his family; hence I contacted you.

Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay claims for this money. The funds can't be released from his account unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines. I now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased as all documentations will be carefully worked out by us for the funds (US$7.4 Million United States dollars) to be released. Before it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Security Finance Firm.

I want you to know that I have planned everything out so that we shall come out successful. I have contacted an attorney that will prepare the necessary document that will back you up as the next of kin to deceased.

all that is required from you at this stage is for you to provide me with your Full Names and Address so that the attorney can commence his job. After you have been made the next of kin, the attorney will also file in for claims on your behalf and secure the necessary approval and letter of probate in your favor for the move of the funds to an account that will be provided by you. There is no risk involved at all in the matter, its 100% risk free 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 and we shall share it the ratio of 60% for me while 40% for you. I await your mail if you are interested and don't forget to send me your full name and address. Have a nice day.

Regards
Mr. Alan Street.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam