419 scam: Chris Bernard <att200mb@yahoo.com.hk> From Auditor Chris Bernard.Attn:Released of your US$15m Contract Payment

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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:
- "because it still remains the fastest medium of communication" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "i feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: Chris Bernard <att200mb@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: auditormb@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Thu, 3 Jun 2010 22:36:22 +0800 (HKT)
Subject: From Auditor Chris Bernard.

>From Auditor Chris Bernard.
Address: 8 Mitchley Road London N17 9HG UK.
Occupations: Auditor.

Greetings!!! I feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business.Though, I choose to reach you through Internet because it still remains the fastest medium of communication. However,this correspondence is unofficial and private, and it should be treated as such. I am Mr Chris Bernard, a United Kingdom Government Auditor and I work in the International operation department in a Bank here. My purpose of contacting you is that I am looking for a Reliable partner to place as the next of kin to a dormant account that have not been operated for years in my bank with a total sum of 39, 000, 000.00 Pounds and on further discreet investigation I also discovered that the account holder has long since passed on (dead) leaving no beneficiary or "WILL" to the account.

>From my investigations, the owner of the said account, a foreigner by name John Shumejda died on the 4th of January 2002 in a plane crash in Birmingham;for details on the crash you can view this CNN website http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/01/04/england.plane/ for details on the tragic crash.

I am contacting you to place you as the next of kin to the deceased and I will provide to you the necessary claim documents the bank will require from you in other to claim this fund including the details information of the account in my next mail.

I will inform you on what to do if you are going to assure me that you will not betray me and my family with this fund in your possession so as to enable me to start the paper work immediately without further delay. I have a family of four, my wife claudia and hailey,brooke. Keep this business within yourself for security and safety reasons.

Thanks as I'm in anticipation of your favourable response.

Have a pleasant day.

Sincerely,
Chris Bernard.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam