419 scam: "Michaelefe"<mikemoore1089@gmail.com> <B><I>Dear Friend,</B></I></DIV>

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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)
- ",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)
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.
- michaelefe89@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Michaelefe" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <michaelefe89@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2015 01:02:28 -0700
Subject: <B><I>Dear Friend,</B></I></DIV>

Dear Friend,

I am Mr.Michael Efe, the accountant personal confident to Dr.

Ravindra F. Shah who died together with his wife Dr. Mrs. Manjula

Parikh-Shah in a plane crash on the 1st Oct. 2003 on their way to

attend wedding in Boston. Dr. Ravindra F. Shah, is an American, a

physician and industrialist, he died without having any beneficiary to

his assets including his account here in Burkina Faso which he opened

in one of the Bank in the year 2000 as his personal savings for the

purpose of expansion and development of his company before his

untimely death in 2003. The amount involved is (USD 10,500,000.00) Ten

Million Five Hundred Thousand USD, no other person knows about this

account, I am contacting you for us to transfer this funds to your

account as the beneficiary,) but I don't know any foreigner, I am only

contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved

to a local person here. Reply urgently so that I will inform you the

next step to take

urgently.

Kindly reply me on my alternative email address :michaelefe89@yahoo.com

Sincerely,

Mr.Michael Efe

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam