419 scam: "M.E" <ellis_2020@hotmail.fr> Dear Partner,

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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:
- "hundred thousand 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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "confidential business" (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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "M.E" <ellis_2020@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: e_2020@gala.net
Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2010 02:10:01 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Dear Partner,

Dear
Partner,


  I assume you and your family are in good
health.

I am the Foreign
Operations Manager in African Development Bank Group here in Burkina Faso
. This being a wide world in which it can be difficult to make new
acquaintances and because it is virtually impossible to know who is trustworthy
and who can be believed, i have decided to repose confidence in you after much
fasting and prayer.   It is only because of this that I have
decided to confide in you and to share with you this confidential
business.

In my bank;
there resides an overdue and unclaimed sum of nine million six hundred thousand
United States dollars ($9,600,000.00). When the account holder
suddenly passed away in a private jet crash, he left no beneficiary who would be
entitled to the receipt of this fund. For this reason, I have
found it expedient to transfer this fund to a trustworthy individual with
capacity to act as foreign business partner. Thus i humbly request
your assistance to claim this fund.

    Upon the
transfer of this fund in your account, you will take 45% as your share from the
total fund, 10% will be shared to Charity Organizations in both country and 45%
will be for me.

Please if you are really
sure you can handle this project, contact me immediately

I am looking forward to
read from you soon.

Thanks

Yours Good friend,

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam