419 scam: "Melissa Smith" <smithm@mtmary.edu> PARTNERSHIP FOR INHERITANCE FUND

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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)
- "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)
- "hundred thousand great british pounds" (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)
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
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.
- ebriggs_hsbcplc@indiatimes.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: ebriggs_hsbcplc@indiatimes.com
Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2010 18:22:26 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: PARTNERSHIP FOR INHERITANCE FUND

PLEASE REPLY VIA THIS EMAIL (ebriggs_hsbcplc@indiatimes.com)

HSBC
Our Reference: 20 / 725 / NW

SUBJECT: SEEKING PARTNERSHIP FOR INHERITANCE FUND OF FOUR MILLION THREE
HUNDRED THOUSAND GREAT BRITISH POUND STERLING.

Dearest Friend,

My name is Mr Emmanuel Briggs, I am a staff of HSBC BANK PLC in LONDON-
UNITED KINGDOM. I work in the operations dept where I serve as account
officer to numerous customers.I am contacting you of a business transfer,
of a huge sum of money from a deceased account the amount of
GBP£4.3Million(Four Million Three Hundred Thousand Great British Pounds
Sterling).Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any
one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that every documents /
legal papper work that will state you the original next of kin and bring
about the success of this transaction would be provided, and all will be
well at the end of the day. I decided to contact you due to the urgency of
this transaction.The deceased person who died Mr Abdou Elzanaty died in a
plane crash along with his wife and two children in an Egyptian airline
with other passengers on board was an American Oil consultant/contractor
with the Chinese Solid Minerals Corporation. You can confirm his death
from the BBC WORLD NEWS published Website below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm

The board of directors of HSBC BANK PLC,mandated me as the account officer
to the decease to look for any known relation of Mr. Abdou Elzanaty, since
after his death.However all my efforts traces was abortive. The
circumstances surrounding the death of the depositor with no known
nominated successor has made it difficult to locate anyone who is directly
related to the deceased. The strategy is to use my position as his account
officer to present you as a next of Kin and beneficiary of the time
deposit for capitalization to your account and share this money between
ourselves and also donate 10% to HAITI,Charity and the tsunami victims If
this proposal is acceptable by you, please endeavor to contact me
immediately via this my most confidential
email(ebriggs_hsbcplc@indiatimes.com)Above all,please handle this deal
with maturity and absolute confidentiality if you found it worthy to be
benefited reply me but if not, notify me on time and better still keep it
top secret due to the nature.

Thanks and God bless you for your anticipated co-operation.

Yours truly,
Mr.Emmanuel Briggs

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam