419 scam: "Richard Stephenson"<quatorze@cronos.ocn.ne.jp> I am contacting you to seek for your kind understanding

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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)
- "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)
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.
- richardstephenson101@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Richard Stephenson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <richardstephenson101@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2018 10:52:08 -0800
Subject: I am contacting you to seek for your kind understanding

Dear Friend,

My name is Richard Stephenson and I work with a Bank here in Glasgow United Kingdom, The name of the bank is First Capital Investment Bank United Kingdom (England). We had a Mr. Allan P. Smith, customer that had a deposit of US$43.5M (Forty Three Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) before he Died in a plane crash with his wife and only Child about 6 years now (January 30, 2011) and since he died, we in the Bank here have been expecting his/her next of kin/relative(s) for the inheritance of the deposit, but none has surfaced.

The policy of the Bank however stipulates a limited time period for such inheritance to be made or the fund will be written off going by the record of the incident, the time limit for the claim is closing up. In this consideration, I am contacting you to seek for your kind understanding and
sincere co-operation to claim this inheritance for our mutual benefit.

If you can stand as the next of kin in this project, success is assured because I am in possession of the personal file jacket of the deceased which contains every needed information about the account and the deceased and you and I stand no risk of any kind because I have enough information to support you in claiming the inheritance. The proceedings of the transaction will be shared 50% each after Expenses are reimbursed.

Kindly indicate your willingness by return email or you call for more information, and we shall proceed with the initial step for the claim. The entire project is expected to last for about ten working days. Reply me with this email (richardstephenson101@gmail.com).

Best Regards,
Richard Stephenson

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam