419 scam: Mr.Patrick Joseph <mrpatesr82@msn.com> Good Day My 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:
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
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.
- mrpatrickj8@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mr.Patrick Joseph <mrpatesr82@msn.com>
Reply-To: mrpatrickj8@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2012 21:36:01 +0100
Subject: Good Day My Friend,

Good Day My Friend,

Firstly, I must solicit your confidence in a transaction and please accept my apology for sending you this sensitive information without meeting you in person but this letter is directed to you, I am in need of your assistance very important and urgent. I am Mr.Patrick Joseph, a Banker and Head of Operations with Africa Development Banque Burkina Faso.I Hope that you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that i am about to repose on you for the mutual benefit of our both families.

I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of ($17.5million) to your account within 14 banking days.

This money has been dormant for yearsin our Bank without claim. I want the bank to release the money to you as the nearest person to our deceased customer, the owner of the account died along with his supposed next of kin in an air crash since July 31st 2000.

I don't want the money to go into our Bank treasurer as an abandoned fund.So this is the reason why i contacted you so that the bank can release themoney to you as the next of kin to the deceased customer. Please I wouldlike you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are notinterested.

Upon receipt of your reply to, i will give you full details on how the business will be executed and also note that you will have 40% of the above mentioned sum if you agree to handle this business with me. Contact me only through my private E-mail: mrpatrickj8@gmail.com

Best Regard.

Mr.Patrick Joseph

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam