419 scam: "Mr. Terry Johnson"<wjbt@mlett.com> Instruction to release your fund worth $850,000

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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)
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money transfer control number" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "certified bank draft" (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" scam.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
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.
- +2348023073299 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Terry Johnson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <fedexoffice@mail386.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2010 00:16:23 +0800
Subject: Instruction to release your fund worth $850,000

Good Day TO You!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank Draft of $850,000 United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since for a couple of weeks now. Then I went to the bank to confirm if the draft has expired or getting near to the date of expire and Dr.Anne,Irwin the Director Bank of Union Bank told me that before the draft will get to your hand that it will expire.

You may not understand why this mail came to you. But if you do not remember me, you might have received an email from me in the past regarding a multi-million-dollar business proposal which we never concluded I am using this opportunity to inform you that this multi-million-dollar business has been concluded with another person who financed It to a logical conclusion.

I thank you for your great effort to our unfinished transfer of fund into your account due to one reason or the other best known to you but I want to inform you that I have successfully transferred the fund out of the security company to my new partner's account in London that was capable of assisting me in this great venture.

Due to your effort, sincerity, courage and trustworthiness you showed during the course of the transaction I want to compensate you and show my gratitude to you with the sum of $850,000 I have left an international Certified Bank Draft for you worth about $850,000 cashable anywhere in the world.

My dear friend I will like you to contact Mr. Mike Turner for the collection of this international certified bank draft have authorized to release the international Certified Bank Draft to you the only Money your are to pay them is the total of $190 which is for security fee as soon as you contact him regarding this issue because at these moment I'm very busy here because of the investment projects which myself my new partner are having at hand.

Please I will like you to accept comply with Mr. Mike Turner so that he will send the draft to you without any delay.

Directors Name: Mr. Mike Turner
Company Name: Federal Express Courier Company (FedEx)
Cell Phone: +234 802 307 3299
Email Address: fedex.7@dykstra-accounting.com
EmailAddress:fedexoffice@mail386.com

1, Your Full Name:
2, Your Delivery Address:
3, Your Cell Phone Number:
4, Your Age:
5, Your Country:
6, Your OCCUPATION:
7, Your Sex:

You are to forward payment information to them via this email after making the
Payment, the payment information is as follows:

Sender Names:.........................
Sender Address......................
Amount Send: $190.....................
Text Question: In God
Text Answer: .We Trust
Money Transfer Control Number for Western Union payment
Method (M.T.C.N).....................
Reference Number for Money Gram payment method

Therefore, you should send him your full Name and telephone number your address where you want him to send the draft to you.

Thanks and God bless you and your family. I am very busy now I may not reply to any email for some time.

Your Sincerely,
Mr. Terry Johnson

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam