419 scam: "shoffit"<shoffit.rchard1@live.com> FUND TRANSFER REQUEST

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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:
- "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)
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.
- ferdiandhoward@aol.com (AOL; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "shoffit" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ferdiandhoward@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 23 May 2010 21:41:27 +0700
Subject: FUND TRANSFER REQUEST

Ferdiand Howard

Dear Sir,

My Name is Ferdinand Howard, an accounts Clerk with National Westminster Bank
(Nat-west UK), Private online banking Department. For the past years i have been
auditing an account belonging to one of my deceased clients Mr. Eric Morrison who
died of heart attack in 2005. He left no known Will or Next of Kin,neither did he
leave any beneficiary to his fund.

Until his death he left a closing balance of
$25 Million United States Dollars in a private dollar account. As his personal
banking officer for more than 8 years , all inquiries to get in touch with any
known relative or associate of his has proved unsuccessful as i had always known
him to live a lonely lifestyle. He never talked about any friends or relatives of
his during my few dinner outings with him when he was alive. I now solicit your
partnership to stand as the beneficiary of this fund.

As an insider in the
bank,all internal workings of this deal shall be perfected by me, while you handle
the receipt of the fund into your account. Our sharing ratio shall be 60% for me
and 40% for you. This is totally risk-free. I await your response. Regards,

Please let me hear from you immediately only in my private email box: ferdiandhoward@aol.com

Waiting to hear from you.
Thanks,
Yours Faithfully,

Ferdiand Howard

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam