419 scam: col lmnn <col_lmnn9@msn.com> Dear Friend,

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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)
- "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "diplomatic courier" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "courier service" (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.
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.
- maluthan2001@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: col lmnn <col_lmnn9@msn.com>
Reply-To: <maluthan2001@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:50:28 +0000
Subject: Dear Friend,

Dear Friend,

I am Colonel
Marcus Luthan, and I am a member of NATO-ISAF Task Force and Provincial
Reconstruction Troops in Southern Afghanistan. In line with my business and
family interest in the UK, I have a very confidential proposal for you.

Based on the USA
legislative and executive decision of pulling our troop out of here as
scheduled I have decided to contact you for this business opportunity and
relationship. I want to inform you that I have in my possession the sum of USD$11.5
million, which I got from crude oil deals in Iraq. I deposited this money with a Red Cross Agent
informing him that I am making contact for the real owner of the money and it
is under my power to approve whoever comes forth for the money.

I want to invest
the money in a good business as soon as my service here ends, anyway you will
advice me on that since I am not a business person. I am solely interested in
making a life for my two daughters and therefore I shall require the service of
a person who is trustworthy and sincere and I am going to make you the
beneficiary of the money and allowing you to invest for my Kids in the event
anything happens to me here. I am an American and an intelligence officer, so I
have a 100% authentic means of transferring the money through diplomatic
courier service. I just need your acceptance and all is done.

Where we are now
we can only communicate through our military communication facilities that are
secured so nobody can monitor our emails, then I can explain in details to you.
I will only reach you through email, because our calls might be monitored, I
just have to be sure whom I am dealing with.

I need someone I
could deal with on trust, so that is why i contacted you to work with me as the
receiving partner in your country. If you accept, I will put you forward as the
beneficiary of the funds and transfer the money to you because as a uniformed
person I cannot be parading such an amount so I need to present someone as the
beneficiary.

I am writing from a
fresh email account so if you are not interested do not reply to this email and
please delete this message, if no response after 3 days I will then search for
someone else.

If you are
interested, then let me know so we can proceed as time is very important to me.
I wait for your contact details so we can go into action. In less than 5 days,
the money should have been in your position and I will come over for my money.
I will give to you 30% of the sum and 70% is for me because I know that nothing
goes for nothing, I hope I am been fair to you for your assistance as my
receiving partner.

Get back to me
urgently; if you are interested in this business deal please contact me via my
email address (maluthan2001@gmail.com).

Kind regards,

Col.Marcus Luthan.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam