419 scam: "Mark Welsh" <welshm796@gmail.com> TOP NEXT OF KIN

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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.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "necessary legal documents" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "million 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.
- welshm796@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mark Welsh" <welshm796@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 22:04:03 -0700
Subject: TOP NEXT OF KIN

Dear,

I am contacting you personally with great respect and confidence, seeking your assistance in the transaction of USD $22M (Twenty Two Million United States Dollars) and I hope that you will respond positively. A foreign national contractor made a deposit for 12 months valued at US$22M Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply.

After a month, I discovered from his contract employers, that the depositor had died on Covid 19. On further investigation, I found out that he died with out making a (WILL). And the money is still sitting in our Bank. I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin/Will Beneficiary to the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at USD $22M (Twenty Two Million United States Dollars) can be paid/transferred to you as the named next of kin/beneficiary...

I am looking for a reliable, honest and capable person who will be able to handle this important business transaction, and I believe that you will never let me down either now or in future.

I am the Auditor General and Chairman, Audit Committee of Wallsfordes National Bank, South Africa. With your sincere assistant and co-operation, I have decided to finalize this transaction with you if you can really do the business, and be rest assured that this deal is worth taking and highly profitable.

This will be disbursed or shared in these percentages, 50% to me and 50% to you. I have secured all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up this claim. All i need is to fill in your names to the documents and legalize it in the court here to prove you as the legitimate beneficiary. All I require now is your honest Co-operation, Confidentiality and Trust to enable us see this transaction through.

Having gone through a methodical search, I decided to contact you hoping that you will find this proposal interesting. Please on your confirmation of this message and indicating your interest I will furnish you with more information. At the moment, I am constrained to issue more details about this transaction until your positive response is received.

I look forward receiving your earliest reply to this email: (welshm796@gmail.com) for further discussion on this.

Thanks for your attention.

Kind regards.
Mark Welsh
Auditor General and Chairman

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam