419 scam: "JOSEPH POON" <info@businessproposal.com> CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL

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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:
- "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)
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
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.
- josephpoon2011@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "JOSEPH POON" <info@businessproposal.com>
Reply-To: josephpoon2011@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:38:47 +0200
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL

Dear ,

I am Mr. Joseph Poon Managing Director and Deputy Chief Executive of the
Hang Seng Bank limited.Before the U.S and Iraqi war our client Mr. Fayez
Abdulaziz Mohammed who was a business merchant and a contractor with the
Iraqi Government but a citizen of SAUDI ARABIA, Made a numbered fixed
deposit for 24 calendar months(2Years), with a value of 22.4 Million
Dollars (Twenty Two million Four Hundred Thousand United State Dollars)
only in my branch. Upon maturity several notices was sent to him, even
during the war which began in 2003. Again after the war another
notification was sent and still no response came from him. We later found
out that Mr. Fayez Abdulaziz Mohammed along with his wife and only
daughter had been killed during the war in a bomb blast
that hits His Resident.

After further investigation it was also discovered that Mr.Fayez Abdulaziz
Mohammed did not declared any next of kin in his official papers including
the paper work of his bank deposit. And he also confided in me the last
time he was in my office that no one except me knew of his deposit in my
bank. So, Twenty Two million Four Hundred Thousand United State Dollars is
still lying in my bank and no one will ever come forward to claim it.

What bothers me most is that according to the laws of my country at the
expiration 8 years and 5 months the funds will revert to the ownership of
the Hong Kong Government if nobody applies to claim the funds. Against
this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you as a foreigner
to stand as the next of kin to late Mr.Fayez Abdulaziz Mohammed so that
you will be able to receive his funds for us.

Please, if you are capable of standing as the next of Kin to late Mr.
Fayez Abdulaziz Mohammed , you should indicate through my private email
address: (josephpoon2011@yahoo.com.hk) so that I will give you more
informations. Absolute confidentiality is required from you. Besides, I
will use my connection to get some documents to back up the fund so that
the fund can not be questioned by
any authority.

I will give you further details of the transaction when I receive a
positive response from you
and also the ration which the money will be shared between both of us.

Treat as very urgent.

Best regards
Joseph Poon

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