419 scam: Andrea Smith <bobmartin_44@hotmail.co.uk> RE: DID YOU SEND ANY ONE TO OUR OFFICE TODAY?

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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:
- "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)
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- "foreign remittance department" (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.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: Andrea Smith <bobmartin_44@hotmail.co.uk>
Reply-To: <ifdcs@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 3 May 2014 17:27:38 +0000
Subject: RE: DID YOU SEND ANY ONE TO OUR OFFICE TODAY?

Attention:

DID YOU SEND MR MANUEL CARTAGENA TO MY OFFICE TODAY?

I
hereby send to you the information submitted by Mr. Manuel Cartagena,
of New York USA with an application to receive your payment on your
behalf. Please as a matter of urgency, you are required to verify the
following information and inform us if you are aware or know anything
about this.

This morning Mr. Manuel Cartagena came to my office,
claiming that you have instructed him to receive the payment on your
behalf with some representatives.

I have therefore asked them
to come back tomorrow as they did not provide any power of Attorney from
you which will prove that you actually sent them. This measure is to
enable me contact you to verify how genuine these people are to you.

1.
Did you instruct one Mr. Manuel Cartagena of New York USA, whose
information is below, to claim and receive the payment on your behalf?

2.
Did you sign any 'Dead of Assignment' in his favour thereby making him
the current beneficiary with the following account details:

Account Name: Manuel Cartagena,
A/C 14-1025567-8001,
Bank Name: Standard Chattered Bank
New York Swift Code: SCBLUS33

Finally,
you are hereby advised to indicate to this honorable office with
immediate effect, if you are the person that instructed Mr. Manuel
Cartagena to come for the claim of your fund worth of $7,500.000.00
(Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars), to enable
us endorse for the final payment approval order on his behalf.

We shall be waiting for your urgent and prompt response.

Sincerely,
Andrea Smith.
DIRECTOR,
Foreign Remittance Department
And Economic And Social Development.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam