419 scam: JAMES ITAMI <jamesitami45@gmail.com> COMPLIMENT OF THE SEASON

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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:
- "to your nominated bank account" (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)
- "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)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: JAMES ITAMI <jamesitami45@gmail.com>
Reply-To: itamijames@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2013 22:45:20 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: COMPLIMENT OF THE SEASON

From: Mr. James Itami,

Auditor General,

Ecobank Abidjan Cote D'Ivoire

Hello Friend,

My name is Mr James Itami . I work with Ecobank Abidjan Cote D'Ivoire

- West Africa as an auditor. In the discharge

of my duty I stumbled on this domiciliary account that has remained

dormant for two years now with $11,100.000.00

USD(Eleven Million One Hundred Thousand United States dollars in it.

During my further inquiry about the dormant account, I discovered that

the account holder a Jew from Mexico who

was a victim of a helicopter crash on January 10th 2010, resulting to

his death and his family members. Saba was

46-years-old. Also in the chopper at the time of the crash was his

wife, their son Avraham (Albert) and his daughter-in-law.

The pilot was also dead. All efforts to get in contact with his

relatives has proved abortive.

I am writing you so that we can work together to remit the fund into

your account that you will provide as the next of kin.

The banking law and procedures herein stipulates that any account

abandoned or dormant for a period of some years is

subjected to be closed and all money contained therein will be

forfeited to the Government Treasury Account.

Now it is being speculated that the above sum will be transferred into

Government Treasury Account as unclaimed funds,

if nobody apply as the Next of Kin. The reason for you to present your

good self as the next of kin in occasioned by the fact

that the deceased customer was a foreigner.

This however is not mandatory nor will I in any manner compel you to

honour against your will. I would like you to read

on and consider the value I offer. Once the funds have been

transferred to your nominated bank account we shall then share

in the ratio of 40% for me, 40% for you, while the remaining 20% will

go to charity organizations. I want to give you 100%

assurance that this transaction is also risk free one, all I need from

you is your maximum support and co-operation for a smooth

and hitch free transfer of funds into your account.

I advice please treat this business with utmost confidentiality. If

interested please Kindly respond for onward guideline & proceeding.

Thanks.

Best Regards

Mr. James Itami.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam