419 scam: "Major Pavel Karpov" <MajorPavelinfo@aol.co.uk> Private message

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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:
- "necessary legal documents" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "% will be for you" (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)
- "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.

Fraud email example:

From: "Major Pavel Karpov" <MajorPavelinfo@aol.co.uk>
Reply-To: <PavelPMaj@aol.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2010 06:06:20 -0600
Subject: Private message

Private message

Please kindly accept my apology for sending unsolicited mail to you I believe you are a highly respected personality considering the fact that I sourced your profile from a human resource profile database on your country. Though, I do not know to what extent you are familiar with events.

Well, I am Major Pavel Karpov, a Russian citizen. My friend and I was accused of stealing $230million from Mr. Bill Browder who was Blacklisted and expelled from Russia in 2005. Mr. Browder liquidated his Russian investments, paying off a $230million tax bill, and relocated his entire staff and their dependents to London, leaving a solitary secretary to manage the office of various shell companies here in Moscow. But in 2007 his Russian office was raided by the police, who seized seals and certificates, and few months later a court judgment was entered against Browder’s companies for an unpaid debt which he claimed he knew nothing about. That was when Browder called in Russia’s smartest tax lawyer, the late Sergei Magnitsky, who was jailed and unfortunately died after brief illness.

I am extremely in need of your assistance in this matter, since I am not allowed to travel out of Russia because of the recent happening. And please you must keep this as top secret if you are willing to help me to receive and deposit this fund in the bank on my behalf. I am willing to share 60%/40% with you if you are able to help me. I have the sum of $100million in a PRIVATE SAFE DEPOSIT overseas, I want you to help me put this money in Number bank in SWISSBANK and take your part of the money as I said. Upon receipt of the fund, I will send you a written letter for the disbursement of the fund and then you and I will share the money in this order: 60% will be for me, 40% will be for you. I have all the necessary legal documents that can back our claim we will make with the Private Vault House.
All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us seeing this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law And please contact me.

Kindly provide me with the following: Full name, age, occupation, phone number, address and fax number.
Best regards,
Major P.

Anti-fraud resources:

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