419 scam: "GEORGE WETU" <georgewetu1010@gmail.com> Greetings,

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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:
- "million 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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- georgewetu1@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "GEORGE WETU" <georgewetu1010@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <georgewetu@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2010 07:49:03 +0200
Subject: Greetings,

Greetings,

I am very sorry for the informal manner in which this message is reaching you, as this was necessitated by my urgent need to reach a dependable and trust worthy foreign contact, This request may seem unsolicited for or perhaps otherwise but I hope to crave your indulgence and pray that you take my request seriously.

I am Capt. George Wetu. I am with the Engineering Military Unit in Luanda Angola and I need your partnership on an urgent transaction worth the sum of US$ 12.5 million dollars ready for shipment to a safe residential address as soon as possible.

Should you be interested, please send me your response message to my private email:georgewetu1@gmail.com expressing your assistance and interest and then there after I will disclose the full detail and contents of the whole matter, hence I am asurring you a 100% risk free transaction

I hope to hear from you soon.

Regards,

Capt. George Wetu

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam