419 scam: vivi smith <vivi_smith52@yahoo.co.in> Hello From Vivian Smith

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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:
- "search for a reliable person" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "trunk box" (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)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a orphan 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.
- vvn1@hotmail.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: vivi smith <vivi_smith52@yahoo.co.in>
Reply-To: viv_smith1@live.fr
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:56:02 +0530 (IST)
Subject: Hello From Vivian Smith

Hello From Vivian Smith
EECI Building, E14 9SR
I know my message will come to you as a surprise.Don't worry I was totally convinced to write you in reference of transfering of USD $15.5 Million to your account for onward investment industries in your country. I got your contact address on my desperate search for a reliable person/company for partnership investments overseas.
I am Miss.Vivian Smith the duagther of late Dr.Phillip Smith a Sierra Leone.. This fund represent the huge Sales of Gold and Diamond he diverted while in office as the Director General of Mining Co-Operation in Sierra Leone ,Late Dr. Phillip Smith my late father was killed by his business associates because of his business is doing well.
I was told to leave my country to Abidjan the Capital city of Cote D'Ivoire ( formal Ivory Coast) for my life sake after my mother was killed also, according to the WILL of my late father before his suden painfull death he advise me to look for a foreigner who will stand as the foreign co-beneficiary of the Fund.Meanwhile, I am writing to know if you can stand as the co-beneficiary of the trunk box, it is here in Abidjan he deposited this said fund in a Security Company as families valuables.
I got to know about this information and as well recover all the relevant documents regards to the deposit through my late father foreign adviser.If you are thus and truly willing to assist me in transferring of this family valuables kindly write me through my email address ,More information about the lifting of this family valuables legally follows immediately after your positive reply to my private email address at (vvn1@hotmail.fr)
Best regards ,
Miss.Vivian Smith

ICC World Twenty20 England '09 exclusively on YAHOO! CRICKET http://cricket.yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam