419 scam: "Dr. Johnson Michael" <johnson.m12@sbcglobal.net> FROM DR JOHNSON

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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.

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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "necessary legal documents" (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. )
This email message is a next of kin scam.
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.
- +447045757003 (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.
- drjohnson-michdr@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr. Johnson Michael" <johnson.m12@sbcglobal.net>
Reply-To: "Dr. Johnson Michael" <drjohnson-michdr@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2010 03:15:29 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: FROM DR JOHNSON

Dear Friend
Having searched and seen your details from the web, highlighting your personal details in a very glowing term, I write to introduce myself and the aim of this mail to you, though that we have not met before, but I believe that opportunity of meeting with one another starts from one day.
Â My name is Dr Johnson Michael, From Harlesden, North West London, here in England and I work for Nat West Bank. My reason of contacting you is to introduce an opportunity that arose from my office which needed an URGENT ATTENTION, and which I also believed that would bring n a great benefit to both of us.
We have discovered an abandoned sum of money to the tune of $ 12. 5 million USD(Twelve million five hundred thousand USA Dollars) that belongs to one of our very interesting LATE FOREIGNÂ CUSTOMER named Morris Thompson, who unfortunately lost his life and that of his entire family of 3 in the Alaska Airlines Flight 261 which crashed on January 31 2000.
My other reason of contacting you is due to the geographical nature of where you live and the overall confidentiality herein. Now ever this man died, our bank has been looking for any known relatives to come forward and claim the left over fund in his account, as the documented known NEXT OF KIN of hisÂ was his late wife PAULLETE who also died in the crash without any success, and I have personally searched for over 3 years now without success, and our bank has given an ultimatum to forward a NEXT OF KIN to the deceased or get his left overâ€™s confisticated by giving it to the charity organizations or orphanage homes, hence this my Urgent contact to you now, to please allow me to present you as a distant cousin of our late client, so that the left over fund would be paid into an account that you would be providing, and which we shall be sharing to a percentage that we shall be agreedÂ upon.
I shall provide all necessary legal documents that would backup our claims in your names or a name that you may provide as far as you have an account in that name so that this money would be paid into it, all I need is to fill in your names into the documents so that our Attorney would legalize those details of yours in a probate court so as to stand you out as the legitimate beneficiary to whom this sum of money is legally allowed to be paid into its account.
All I require from you now URGENTLY is the following
-Â Respond through this email address; drjohnson-michdr@hotmail.com
1. Your Names
2. Telephone Numbers including mobile
3. Contact address
Â An urgent response to this mail is needed, so that I shall intimate you on the next line of action as we intend to conclude the transaction within 5 working days.
Best Regards,
Dr. Johnson Michael
Tel: +447045757003

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