419 scam: "Mr.Micheal Harry" <ana@officeshoes.ro> PRIVATE AND URGENT??

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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.

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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:
- "huge sum of money" (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)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Micheal Harry" <ana@officeshoes.ro>
Reply-To: m.harry540@admin.in.th
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 12:39:03 +0200
Subject: PRIVATE AND URGENT??

Hello

I am contacting you in regards to a business transfer of a huge sum
of money from a deceased account .Though I know that a transaction of
this magnitude will make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am
assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. We decided
to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction bearing in mind
that this money has been on a stand still for quite sometime.

PROPOSITION; We discovered an abandoned sum of (8.35M) in an account
that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his
entire family in 2001.

Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come
forward to lay claims to this money as the heir. We cannot release
the fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as the
next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.

Upon this discovery,we now seek your permission to have you stand as a
next of kin to the deceased as all documentations will be carefully
worked out by us for the funds (8.35M) to be released in your
favour as the beneficiary's next of kin.

It may interest you to note that we have secured from the probate an
order of madamus to locate any of deceased beneficiaries.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our
mutual business endeavour by furnishing me with the following;

1. Your Full Names and Address.
2. Direct Telephone and Fax numbers.

These requirements will enable us file a letter of claim to the
appropriate departments for necessary approvals in your favour before
the transfer can be made. We shall be compensating 20% on final
conclusion of this project, while the rest shall be for us.

Your share stays with you while the rest shall be for us for
investment purposes in your country.

If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of
the trust we have bestowed in you,
I await your urgent email.
Regards,
Micheal Harry

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam