419 scam: "Mr. Erik Dobratz" <erkidpri@msn.com> Hi Greetings

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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:
- ",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)
- "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "very confidential" (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 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.
- erid1965@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Erik Dobratz" <erkidpri@msn.com>
Reply-To: <erid1965@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 06:07:52 +0000
Subject: Hi Greetings

Hi Greetings Good
day to you. I am Mr Erik Dobratz, a Consultant and Language Interpreter
here in Madrid, Spain. I have a confidential business proposal I want
to share with you in confidence, which I believe will benefit both of
us. I got your contact information from the international brochure and I
decided to contact you on this business based on that you bear the same
middle name with our late client, who deposited the sum of
US$22,000,000,00. (Twenty-Two Million United States of America Dollars)
in a Bank Vault here in Spain, before he died on the 24th of March 2004
along with his wife and two children in a Motor Accident along Barcelona
express way here in Spain.

At
this moment you should understand that this should be kept very
confidential, let it be between me and you only. This is the only way we
can achieve success. When responding to my Letter I need your telephone
number where I can communicate with you easily and more confidentially.
I will call you when i saw yours: this is my private email:
erid1965@yahoo.com
Mr. Erik Dobratz

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam