419 scam: "MR.BERNARD GODFREY"<zenitbk1@163.com> Re: TREAT URGENT DEAR FRIEND!!!

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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:
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "international 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 next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "MR.BERNARD GODFREY" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <bernard-zenithbak0014@outlook.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2015 06:52:37 -0800
Subject: Re: TREAT URGENT DEAR FRIEND!!!

Attention Friend,

I am Mr.Bernard Godfrey,the director of Audit and Account Unit international remittance department of Zenith Bank (UK) Limited, 20-22 Berkeley Square.London,W1J 6EQ. United Kingdom. I am reaching you in regards to an investment I personally intent to do through my bank {zenith bank UK limited} with your company considering your wealth of experience on this particular field.

I need your urgent assistance in transferring the total sum of Twenty One Million and Five Hundred Thousand United Kingdom pounds starlings (21.5 GBP) immediately to any designate account under your care/custody. The fund has been dormant (in-active) for 10 years in our Bank here (Zenith Bank UK limited) without any legal beneficiary coming for it, considering the circumstance that faced the dormant fund without the next of kin. I wish to let you know that this fund payment 21.5milion GBP is legally and legitimately belong to our deceased customer by name Late Mr.Andreas Schranner (the owner of the account) who died along with his supposed next of kin in the air crash since 31st July 2000. Ever since that crash incidence, nobody has come for the recovery of the fund payment either as a beneficiary or next of kin to the beneficiary.

As a clerical account officer then to late Mr. Andreas Scharnner and presently the audit and remittance director to zenith bank UK limited, the bank has assigned me the authority to look for any available next of kin to late Mr. Andrea Schranner who would come over for the claim of the deposited fund urgently, otherwise they will confiscate the funds to the British treasury. I don't want the fund to go into our Bank treasury as an abandoned fund; this is the reason why I am contacting you. I want to front you as the legal next of kin and appointed beneficiary to the fund payment valued 21.5 million GBP, so that my Bank will release the fund to you as the nearest person to the deceased customer.

I directly and personally have all the necessary back up document and other necessary papers to support the successful release of the fund to you without delay provided you agree to work with me and strictly take my professional advice and official directives to actualize the fund to your/our custody. (I intend to invest my share into real estate service which my wife is a professional on it).You can freely visit and browse the website below to have a better understanding of the crash and Mr. Andrea schranner predicament.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm

Please, I would like you to get back to me if you wish to handle this transaction with me or delete it if you are not interested. Upon receipt of your reply, I will provide you with necessary back of documents and further details to successfully actualize the fund to your custody without any risk involved. I would guard you with my professional advice and direct supervision. I have willingly agreed to share the fund with you in the ratio or 70/30.Furnish me alongside with your full details,while i will as-well forward my full contact details to you four your perusal.

Best Regards,

MR.BERNARD GODFREY

Zenith Bank (UK) Limited.
20-22 Berkeley Square.
London,W1J 6EQ. United Kingdom
EMAIL: info.2015compensation15@instruction.com

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