419 scam: =?UTF-8?Q?MR_ROY?= <nif@yahoo.com> =?UTF-8?Q?CONFIDENTIAL

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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)
- "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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- ",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)
- "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 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.
- roysom86@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: =?UTF-8?Q?MR_ROY?= <nif@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: roysom86@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2014 06:22:06 +0900
Subject: =?UTF-8?Q?CONFIDENTIAL_PROSPOSAL?=

Dear Friend,

Before I introduce myself, I wish to inform you that this letter is not a hoax mail and I want you to treat it with seriousness. My name is Mr. Roy. I am a staff of Standard Bank of South Africa here in Johannesburg. I am writing to you in respect of a foreign customer of my bank, MR. ANDREAS SCRANNER who perished with his entire family on the 25th July, 2000 in CONCORDE plane crash [Flight AF4590] along with the whole passengers aboard. For further detail visit; http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm

There is an account opened in this bank by this great late diamond and oil merchant who died without a written or oral WILL attached to the account. Since his death I have personally tried to locate any of His relatives to come and stand as the Next of Kin to claim his funds and my investigation shows that no other person knows about this account or anything concerning it. The account has no other beneficiary and until his death he was the manager of his company. I therefore request for your assistance to help me move this fund out of the country for investment.

The total amount involved is US$35,500,000.00 USD [Thirty Five Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars] but we wish to start the first transfer with $10,000,000.00[Ten million]. Upon successful transaction without any disappointment from your side, we shall re-apply for the transfer of the remaining balance to your account.

All I need from you is your honest cooperation to make this deal work out as planned. On this note, I want you to act as the foreign beneficiary of the fund from the deceased by providing your bank account where the fund will be transferred for immediate investment on any viable project. The account can be an empty account or you can create a virgin account without any money in it provided it can receive this fund.

I therefore contacted you because the banking ethics here in South Africa does not equally permit us, the bank management to approve the money to an indigenous name or into a local account but we can only approve it to a foreigner who has good information to the deceased dormant account which I will provide to you on your positive response.

Upon the receipt of your reply, I will send to you all the entire information about the transaction. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this business is 100% risk and that you should not entertain any fear as all modalities for fund transfer can be finalized within 14 banking days after we apply to the bank on your behalf as the beneficiary of the fund from the deceased. I will on receipt of your positive response, draft an application which will be forwarded to the bank management seeking for the release and transfer of the funds into your bank account.

At the conclusion of the transfer 55% of the fund will be for us while we give you 30% of the total transfer fund, 10% for charity both in South Africa and in your country wand the remaining 5% will be set aside to settle expenses both parties might incurs during the transfer process.

PLEASE, THE CONTENT OF THIS LETTER IS A TOP SECRET AND I WILL WANT YOU TO KEEP IT TO YOURSELF ONLY. I wait for your positive response on my private email roysom86@yahoo.com and kindly indicate your telephone/mobile number for easy and safe communication between us.
Sincerely yours,
Mr. Roy
Email Id: roysom86@yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam