419 scam: "DR JIM OVIA" <zenithb@rocketmail.com> GOOD NEWS FOR YOU.

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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "observe utmost confidentiality" (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.

Fraud email example:

From: "DR JIM OVIA" <zenithb@rocketmail.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: zenithbank83@rocketmail.com
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2012 09:00:43 -0000 (GMT)
Subject: GOOD NEWS FOR YOU.

Dear Friend,

RE: TRANSFER OF ($9,500.000.00 USD NINE
MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS)

We want to transfer to overseas the sum of ($9,500.000.00USD) Nine Million
Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) from a Prime Bank in Africa.

I would like to ask you to quietly look for a reliable and honest person
who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or
to set up a new Bank a/c immediately to receive this money, even an empty
a/c can server as far as it can receive money.

I am Mr ,Mark Davis, an accountant and personal confidant to Dr.Ravindra
F.Shah who died together with his wife Dr.Mrs. Manjula Parikh-Shah in a
plane crash on the 1st Oct. 2003 on their way to attend wedding in Boston.

Dr. Ravindra F. Shah, is an American, a physician and industrialist, he
died without having any beneficiary to his assets including his account
here in Burkina Faso which he opened in the year 2000 as his personal
savings for the purpose of expansion and developement of his company
before his untimely death in 2003.

The amount involved is (USD 9,500,000.00) Nine Million Five Hundred
Thousand USD, no other person knows about this account.

I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be
approved to a local person here, without valid international foreign
passport, but can only be approved to any foreigner with valid
international passport or drivers license and foreign a/c because the
money is in US Dollars and the former owner of the a/c Mr.Ravindra F. Shah
is a foreigner too, and as such the money can only be approved into a
foreign a/c.

I need your full co-operation to make this work fine because the
management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has
correct information of this account, which I will give to you, upon your
positive response and once I am convinced that you are capable and will
meet up with the inheritance procedures.

At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 35% of the total
amount,60% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties
might have incurred during the process of transferring.

You should observe utmost CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECRECY in this transaction,
and rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both
of us because I will require your assistance to invest my share in your
country.

I look forward to your prompt response.please reply this message if you
interested for more details of this transaction,

Dr , Jim Ovia

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam