419 scam: "Mrs. Victoria Lee"<mrsvictoria.vlee02@gmail.com> GOOD DAY TO YOU,

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:

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)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "@lawyer.com" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +447024038950 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
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.
- anthony_berry.qc@lawyer.com (Outblaze.com, Hong Kong; can be used from anywhere worldwide)
- anthony berry 9 bedford row london wc1r 4az e-mail: anthony_berry.qc@lawyer.com tell: +447024038950 447938038468 fax: +447005800051 there (Lawyer; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Victoria Lee" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrsvictoriaverlee@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:49:22 -0700
Subject: GOOD DAY TO YOU,

GOOD DAY TO YOU,

My name is Mrs. Victoria Veronica Lee; I am a dying woman who has decided to donate what I have to you/church. I am 59 years old and I was diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer for about two years, immediately after the death of my husband, who has left me everything he worked for. He owned an import/export company which operated in the UK, west Africa and in china I have been touched by God to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to you for the good work of God, rather than allow my relatives to use my husband hard earned funds ungodly, since we had no kids to inherit them.

Please pray that the good Lord forgive me my sins. I have asked God to forgive me and I believe He has because He is a merciful God. I will be going in for an operation in less than a month and I'll want you to stand as the beneficiary to the account of my late husband in the United Kingdom and in Africa. Also to the motherless and less privilege and also for the assistance of the widows.

You would be entitled to 20% of all the funds which are deposited in bank/finance house in the United Kingdom and in Africa. The remaining 80% will be used to set up a foundation in my husband's name, which will be used to help the less privileged.At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls due to the fact that my relatives are around me and my health status.

Please contact my lawyers in charge of the funds and they will arrange the transfer of the funds from my account to your preferred account as you would be the beneficiary to them.

Pls. Contact my lawyer in London,
Barrister Anthony Berry with the specified address:
CHAMBERS OF ANTHONY BERRY
BARRISTER ANTHONY BERRY
9 BEDFORD ROW LONDON WC1R 4AZ
E-mail: anthony_berry.qc@lawyer.com
TELL: +447024038950 447938038468
Fax: +447005800051

There are above 20 million dollars deposited in banks/finance houses in the UK as well as in Africa. Please use your share of the funds well and always extend the good work to others.

Please tell him that I have asked you to reach him. This is my private email: mrsvictoriaverlee@gmail.com
God blesses you.

Thanks,
Mrs. Victoria Lee.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam