419 scam: Seif al-Islam Gaddafi <tbc.uk.tbc@gmail.com> Keep This Top Secret,

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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:
- "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)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: Seif al-Islam Gaddafi <tbc.uk.tbc@gmail.com>
Reply-To: icpc_2009@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2017 23:04:54 +0100
Subject: Keep This Top Secret,

Keep This Top Secret,
I am seeking your consent for a mutual business transaction,I need an
assistance of an Allah fearing person who can help me secure a huge
sum of money purposely deposited with a security firm by my late
father Col Muammar Gaddafi before his sudden death, I nearly lost my
life during the long time of my incarceration by the rebels after the
death of my father, I resolved to contact you after I was released
from detention about seven months ago here in Libya.

So kindly get back to me for more details if you are willing to assist
me to secure this fund in question, i will offer you 25% of the fund
for your assistance if you can genuinely help me to secure the funds
to avoid the funds from being seize by the United Nations and the
United States government, I needed the funds to be release into your
care so that you can safe guide it by keeping the funds in your name
on trust so that the money cannot be confiscated if being detected by
the United Nations/United States government, so get back to me as soon
as possible for more details.

Seif al-Islam Gaddafi

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam