419 scam: Sarah Arapta <kerodongj@gmail.com> 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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "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)
- "dormant account" (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: Sarah Arapta <kerodongj@gmail.com>
Reply-To: citibankofuganda@aol.com
Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2023 02:33:04 -0700
Subject: Dear Friend

Address: Plot 4 Ternan Avenue Centre Court Nakasero P.O. Box 7505,
Kampala, Uganda

Dear Friend,

I know that this email will come to you as a surprise. I am the
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, in Citibank Uganda
Limited (CUL). I Hope that you will not expose or betray this trust
and confident that I am about to expose to you for the mutual benefit
of our both families.

I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of $25.5 million
immediately to your account. The money has been in a dormant account
for years in
a Citi Bank Account here in Uganda name withheld without anyone coming
for it. I want to release the money to you because according to our
research you are the closest person to our deceased customer the owner
Of the account who died long ago with his supposed next of kin in an
air Crash since July 2010. I don't want the money to go into our Bank
treasury as an abandoned fund. So this is the reason I contacted you,
so that the bank can release the money to you as the nearest person to
the deceased customer. Please I will like you to keep this proposal as
a top secret and delete if you are not interested.

Upon receipt of your reply, I will send you full details on how the
Business will be executed and also note that you will have 60% of the
Above mentioned sum. Acknowledgement receipt of this message in
acceptance of my mutual business proposal is by furnishing me with the
following information:

1. Your Full Names and Address.
2. Direct Telephone

Sarah Arapta
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Citibank Uganda

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam