419 scam: "Denis Smith"<dsmith@belizemail.net> Reach me on (Cell: + 27 7384 81677)

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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:
- "million 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)
- ",000,000" (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)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Denis Smith" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <dsmithhouse@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2010 21:38:24 +0700
Subject: Reach me on (Cell: + 27 7384 81677)

Good day,

Please do not take this for a junk letter. This email may sound astonishing to you but please I want you to know that this transaction is for real. I am a general auditor of a well known bank here in South Africa.

There is this floating fund which is to the tune of fourteen Million Dollars ($14,000,000.00USD) which has been with the bank since 2005 after the death of the true owner who bears the same last name as yours. I came across his file again when I was auditing all the credit account and I find out that nobody has ever come on behalf of the deceased as his beneficiary to claim the funds and I have been monitoring this account since I discovered this information.

In this case I have concluded to contact his relatives via the internet but to no avail, before I found your details in an internet web directory.

I will instruct you on how to claim as the beneficiary to the deceased, so that the funds would be transfer to your overseas A/C, if only you will co-operate with me and not betray me at the end of this transaction. After the transaction is successfully completed, I will apply for a visa to meet with you in your country to collect my own share which is 50% for me and 50% for you. Please feel free to give your own opinion on this transaction modality if you wish.

Please view this links below for more details concerning issues of unclaimed funds.

I await your soonest response to this matter. Denis Smith

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam