419 scam: "Raymond Randall"<rayrandall50@london.com> ATTENTION: YOUR URGENT RESPONSE IS REQUIRED

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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:
- "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)
- "foreign remittance department" (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.
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.
- rayrandall50@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Raymond Randall" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <rayrandall50@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:38:22 +0200
Subject: ATTENTION: YOUR URGENT RESPONSE IS REQUIRED

Good day,

It is with great pleasure and delight that I want to introduce a
business venture to you, which I suppose you may be willing and
interested to participate, as it is deemed total risk-free. First of
all, my name is Mr. Raymond Randall and I am the Risk and Verification
Manager, Foreign Remittance Department, Barclays Bank, London. Through
my constant research and vetting, we have come across the sum of
US$12,5000,000.00 (Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand United States
Dollars Only) which has been lying in our bank for several years now
without claim. It was later discovered by myself that the account hold
and his next of kin (his wife) died in the TWA Flight 800 plane crash
on July 17, 1996.

We have tried to contact other legitimate relative to claim this funds
for several years now, but to no avail, as we cannot release it unless
somebody applied for its next of Kin or Relation to the deceased as
indicated in our banking procedure. Unfortunately nobody has come
forward to claim the money.

I want you to purportedly present your good self as the next of Kin or
relation of the deceased so that we can prepare documentations and
release the funds (US$12.5 Million) into your account for safety and
subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it and again we do
not want the funds to go into the Governments account as "Unclaimed
Bill".

The banking law and procedures herein stipulates that any account
abandoned or dormant for a period of some years is subjected to be
closed and all money contained therein will be forfeited to the
Government Treasury Account. Now it is being speculated that the above
sum will be transferred into Government Treasury Account as unclaimed
funds on or before August 2010. The reason for you to present your
good self as the next of kin in occasioned by the fact that the
deceased customer was a foreigner.

It is also important for you to know that 40% of the total funds will
be for you. In support of the aforementioned, you are urged to reply
this letter indicating your readiness and interest to participate in
the business. After you reply, you will be advised on the next step
forward.

If you are however skeptical and do not want to participate in this
business transaction, please disregards this email.

Yours truly,

Mr. Raymond Randall
Rayrandall50@gmail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam