419 scam: Hatah Alayi <mr_hatah@sify.com> From Mr Hatah Alayi.

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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
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.
- mr.hatah01@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: Hatah Alayi <mr_hatah@sify.com>
Reply-To: mr.hatah01@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2011 23:57:39 +0900 (KST)
Subject: From Mr Hatah Alayi.

Dear Friend,

I'm a staff
of UNIBANK LTD, BURKINA FASO. I am contacting you for a business transfer of
$10.5M (Ten Million Five Hundred United States Dollars) from an account that
belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family in
Afghanistan war on May 5th, 2009. Since we discovered his death, none of his
relations has come forward to claim this money. On my investigations as his
personal account manager here, I confirmed that his surposed next of kin (HIS
WIFE) died along side with him too.

Now, The bank cannot release the
fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as the next of kin as
indicated in our banking guidelines. I have all the necessary information about
his account and as such, I want to present you as his next of kin so that the
fund will be release to you. our bank law stated that, if the fund remain
unclaim for three years then, the fund will be transfer into the bank treasury
as unclaimed bill.

The deceased customer (MR. KHAN ALI MOHAMED) was my
good friend and as such, I will not be happy if the fund is transfer into the
bank reserve account as uncliamed fund. My desire is to use part of the fund to
build a charity home as to help the poor and the needy in the world. so, I am
seeking your permission to have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased as
all documentations will be carefully worked out for the fund $10.5M to be
released in your favour as the next of kin. I shall be compensating you with
40% on final conclusion of this project while 60% will be for me. Your share
stays with you while my own share 60% shall be for investment/Charity Home in
your country

This transaction is 100% risk free; You should not
entertian any atom of fear because I am here to back you up in this opportunity
as an insider in the bank.
If this proposal is acceptable by you, kindly
contact me as soon as you receive this letter at mr.hatah01@gmail.com for more details.

I am waiting for
your response.
Yours brother,
Mr Hatah.Alayi

Anti-fraud resources:

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