419 scam: "Tai Poon"<guoqing@gxzb.com.cn> Your earliest response to this letter

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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:
- "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "with your full names" (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)
- "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
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.
- tapoo11@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Tai Poon" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <tapoo11@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Mar 2015 11:27:53 +0100
Subject: Your earliest response to this letter

HANG SENG BANK LTD.
DES VOEUX RD,BRANCH,CENTRAL HONG KONG
HONG KONG.
Email:tapoo11@yahoo.com

Let me start by introducing myself. I am Tai Poon director of operations of the Hang Seng Bank Ltd. I have an obscured business proposal for you. Before the U.S and Iraqi war our client political party official and a business man Muhannad al-Hakim, made a numbered fixed deposit for 18 calendar months, value at Forty Four million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars, in my branch. Upon maturity several notices where sent to him, even during the war, which began in 2003. Again, after the war another notification was sent and still no response came from him. We later found out that Muhannad al-Hakim, his wife and only daughter had been killed during the war in a gun fire. http://www.iraqbodycount.net/names.htm
After further investigation it was also discovered that Muhannad al-Hakim did not declare any next of kin in his official papers, including the paper work of his bank deposit. He also confided in me, the last time he was at my office, that no one except me knew of his deposit in my bank. So, Forty Four million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars is still lying in my bank, and no one will know of it. What bothers me most is that according to the laws of my country, at the expiration of 3 years and 6 months the funds will revert to the ownership of the Hong Kong Government if nobody applies to claim the funds. Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to Muhannad al-Hakim so that you will be able to receive his funds.

WHAT IS TO BE DONE:
I want you to know that I have everything carefully planned. I have contacted an attorney that will prepare the necessary documents that will back you up as the next of kin to Muhannad al-Hakim. All that is required from you at this stage is to provide me with your Full Names and Address so that the attorney can commence his job. I will use my position to influence the move of the funds. After you have been made the next of kin, the attorney will file for claims on your behalf, and secure the necessary approval and letter of probate in your favor, for the move of the funds to an account that will be provided by you.

There is no risk involved at all in this matter, as we are going to adopt a legalized method and the attorney will prepare all the necessary documents. Please endeavor to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this issue. Should you be interested please send me your full names, private phone/fax and current residential address and finally after that I shall provide you with more details of this operation. I prefer you to reach me with the below email address.
Email: tapoo11@yahoo.com
Your earliest response to this letter will be
appreciated.
Kind Regards,
Tai Poon.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam