419 scam: Brown Harris <harrisb020@yahoo.com.hk> Good Reply???

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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:
- "discussion of this transaction in further details" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million us 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)
- "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)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
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.
- harrisbrown24@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Brown Harris <harrisb020@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: Brown Harris <harrisbrown2014@yahoo.com.ph>
Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2014 06:33:28 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: Good Reply???

UBS Bank AG Z?rich
Switzerland
Postal Account:80-2-2

Urgent Good,

I am a consultant, working with UBS Zurich Switzerland. I will be happy to   execute this deal with you if you have a corporate or personal Bank Account and   if you are capable of handling issues as a TOP SECRET. I therefore need a   strong Assurance that you will never let me down, when I transfer this money to   your account.

Thus during one of our periodic auditing I discovered a dormant account with   holding balance of US$ 32,000.000.00 { Thirty Two million US Dollars only},   Sometimes a person will open a bank account, deposit money in it, and then will   disappear into the tin air.

Banks are not always able to find out what has become of these silent   customers, or to know whether they should follow up on requests from people who   claim to be heirs to the accounts. The main problem is that the customer   resides abroad and, due to bank secrecy and code of conduct, the bank cannot   publish notices in the international press to locate the depositaries. This has   led the majority of Swiss banks to refrain from opening small-deposit accounts   for foreign customers; for fear that they will forget that the account exists.

It has happened in the past, however, such customers pass away and their heirs   can neither prove the death, nor their heir ship. This was a frequent   occurrence during the wartime periods, also now that have many reports of   environmental hazards with many unknown casualties and the banks have now set   up a simple, rapid resolution procedure operating to their customers'   advantage.

Dormant assets are defined as any assets deposited with a bank (i.e. an   account, a custody account or a safety-deposit box) for which there has been no   contact with the customer in the bank's files for the last ten years or more.

I am constrained to issue more details about this business transaction until   your response is received. If you know that you will be capable to handle large   or small amount on trust and can to keep all matters secret and ready to take   45% of any amount I transfer to your account from the dormant account and I   will take 55%, send your account information's by return mail. Tell me more   about yourself, while I look forward to receive the above information.

I want to re-assure you that this business is risk free and you can send an   empty account to receive the funds, provided that the account is capable to   receive incoming funds.

Look forward to discuss this opportunity further with you in detail. Please   email me back on this mail address: (harrisbrown24@yahoo.com) Or provide me   with your phone number for discussion of this transaction in further details.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Warmest regards,

Mr.Harris Brown.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam