419 scam: "Mr Abdul Karim."<info@getra.bi> YOUR URGENT REPLY IS NEEDED....

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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "huge sum of money" (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 states 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)
- ",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)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +22968457314 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- mrabdul1karim@yahoo.com.mx (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Abdul Karim." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrabdul1karim@yahoo.com.mx>
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:14:40 -0300
Subject: YOUR URGENT REPLY IS NEEDED....

>From The Desk of Mr Abdul Karim
The Auditing & accountant Manager Foreign
Remittance Dept of Bank of Africa
(B.O.A). Office address.Agence Centrale
Avenue Jean-Paul II – 08 BP 0879 – Cotonou

Tel: +229-68457314

Attention:Dear Friend,

I am Mr Abdul Karim,the auditing and accountant manager of foreign remittance dept of Bank of Africa (B.O.A) in Cotonou republic of Benin. I am contacting you on a business transaction of a huge sum of money from a deceased account. Though i know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but i am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. I decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction.

Proposition;

I discovered an abandoned sum of us$22,500,000.00 (Twenty two million five hundred thousand united states dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died in a plane crash along with his entire family. Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay claims for this money as the heir. We cannot release the fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines. Upon this discovery, i now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased as all documentations will be carefully worked out by us for the funds (USD$22,500,000.00) to be released in your favour as the beneficiary's next of kin.

It may interest you to know that we have secured from the probate an order of mandamus to locate any of deceased beneficiaries.Please acknowledge the receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual business endeavour by furnishing me with the following information;

1. Beneficiary name and address
2. Direct telephone and fax numbers

These requirements will enable us file letter of claim to the appropriate departments for necessary approvals in your favour before the transfer can be made. I shall be compensating you with 30% of the total fund on final conclusion of this project, while the rest shall be for us for investment purposes in your country that you will propose to us.

Yours sincerely
Mr Abdul Karim.
Reply To: mrabdul1karim@yahoo.com.mx

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam