419 scam: "Barry Martiins"<barymartins@hotmail.com> I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE

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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.

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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:
- ",500,000" (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)
- "here in united kingdom" (this email uses bad English)
- "dormant account" (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.
- barrymartins@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Barry Martiins" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barrymartins@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2011 13:56:01 -0400
Subject: I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE

Good day
My name is Barry Martins, I work with the Finance Monetary Unit here in the
United Kingdom, we are in charge of auditing foreign account holders in all various banks here in United Kingdom. I found your contact email address through my country international Web directory. During our last annual inspections of all various bank accounts here in the United Kingdom, My department found a dormant account with an enormous sum of US$15,500,000.00 (Fifteen Million Five Hundred Thousand US Dollar) which was deposited by one late Mr. Juergen Mahler Hartwich a Germany citizen.
>From My investigation I found out that the late Juergen Mahler Hartwich has no beneficiary or next of kin to claim these Funds (US$15,500,000.00) and to the law of my country here in UK when an account is dormant for more than eight 8 years the authority has every tendency to confisticate the account, this is why am contacting you to stand for me as the next of kin or beneficiary to this account since you are not a British citizen, with all support proof documents to show for it with the help of my lawyer upon hearing from you.
I will need us to work together if you are interested, and I assure you that I will provide all useful information’s and documentation that we enable us transfer this funds into your bank account legally without any problem. I would explain better to you on phone conversation upon hearing from you as I wait to hear from you soon. Kindly write me directly with your contacts on my private email: barrymartins@hotmail.com .
Best Regards,
Mr. Barry Martins
barrymartins@hotmail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam