419 scam: "Mr. Maxwell Willson." <mrmaxwelwilson@rediffmail.com> REPLY URGENTLY.

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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:
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million british pounds" (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)
- "can i completely trust you?" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "your humble assistance" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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 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.
- mrmaxwellwilson@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Maxwell Willson." <mrmaxwelwilson@rediffmail.com>
Reply-To: mrmaxwellwilson@rediffmail.com
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2011 08:08:10 +0100
Subject: REPLY URGENTLY.

INVESTMENT PROPOSAL.

How are you today? Hope all is well with you and your family? I know that
this letter will come to you as a surprise as we don't know ourselves
before, but be rest assured that it is real and a genuine business. I am
Mr. Maxwell Willson,from London.

I am an account officer to Mr. Rafik Hariri, Born in Lebanon in 1944, the
late Rafik Hariri was a Lebanese self-made billionaire and business
tycoon, and was five times Prime Minister of Lebanon. You can view this
site for confirmation.

http://www.rhariri.com/general.aspx?pagecontent=biography

I got your mail through my private search and out of Desperation I decided
to reach you through this medium. Mr. Rafik Hariri deposit 36,759,000
million British Pounds in a bank here in London and I want to invest this
money in your country
The need to move out this money arose when the Prime Minister Gordon Brown
said that some of the money held in dormant accounts would be used for
youth and community projects for you can confirm this in the website
below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4017381.stm

I am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance in this regard. Now
permit me to ask these few questions:-

(1) Can I completely trust you?
(2) I am ready to offer you 35% of this (36,759 000.00) I hope it is
acceptable by you?

Please, consider this and get back to me as soon as possible for more
details, via my personal Email:mrmaxwellwilson@yahoo.com

Thank you so much.

Mr. Maxwell Willson.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam