419 scam: "John Harriman"<j_h_m1@att.net> Dear Friend:I Wait For Your Urgent Respond,

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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)
- "into your nominated bank account" (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)
- "million united states 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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "30% for you " (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 next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "John Harriman" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <john_h@blumail.org>
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2011 12:58:55 -0800
Subject: Dear Friend:I Wait For Your Urgent Respond,

Dear Friend,

My name is John Harriman, a staff of NatWest Bank Plc London. As an account officer and a financial adviser to the late Ronald Lake who died on the 31st of January 2000 were involved in a plane crash (Alaska Airlines Flight 261) which unfortunately all the passengers lost their lives, since then I have made several enquirers to locate any of their extended relatives but this proved abortive.

I am a signatory to his fixed deposit account of US$36,000,000.00 (Thirty Six Million United States Dollars Only) in our bank here in London where his fund was deposited.

I have made all the official paper work for the transfer of this fund as I want you to stand as the beneficiary to the stated fund above. He did not declare any next of kin in all his official documents in the bank concerning the deposit. I want you to stand as the beneficiary to claim this fund.

I hope you are trustworthy person, after the successful transfer of the funds. We shall share in the ratio of 30% for you and 60% for me and 10% will be set aside to upset any expenses.

All I need is your assistance and cooperation for the successful transfer of these funds into your nominated bank account in your country. Please get back to me urgently so that I can give you more directives on how to conclude the inheritance transfer to you as the bone fide next of kin to the decease and the beneficiary to the fund.

I wait for your urgent respond.

Best Regards,

John Harriman.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam