419 scam: David Smith <smith393_67958@msn.com> OFFICIALLY SIGNED

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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:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: David Smith <smith393_67958@msn.com>
Reply-To: <smith_david050@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:08:58 +0000
Subject: OFFICIALLY SIGNED

I AM MR. DAVID SMITH.Director ATM Integrated Payment Center,ASIA Development Bank International
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK / UNITED NATIONS 2001/2010 SCAM VICTIMSCOMPENSATIONS PAYMENTSThis is to inform you that your compensation (ATM) Master Card payment hasbeen processed and activated in your favor this afternoon after theconfirmation of your payment Approval from the finance minister.I wish to inform you that your card has been activated and the total valueis Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars Only($750,000.00) only. The maximum amount that you can withdraw with your ATMcard within 24 hours banking operation is Ten Thousand United StatesDollars (US$10.000.00) only from any designated ATM machine in and outsideyour country.It is an INTER SWITCHED ASIA E CARD and the Access Pin Codeis CASE SENSITIVE and you MUST BE VERY CAREFUL when entering it to avoidtotal lock of your card.
You are required to send your full name,house address, private telephone number,age and occupationto this office and postal code to enable the courier service in ourpayment location in Asia send it to you, remember you will not pay the D H Lor insurance charges until the card is with you before you can settle thecourier and insurance charges, as all this measure are taken to avoidscam, we have make arrangement with the courier company and insurance todeliver first before payment and note that by no mean will you make anypayment via western union as is prohibited as we want to eradicate fraudand scam associated with this type of transaction.
We anticipate your prompt responsePlease note that your card has been insured and we cannot deduct a centfrom the card for this delivery fee.Your urgent response is highly needed.Reduce of giving out your credit card details online by getting the MasterCard
OFFICIALLY SIGNED

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam