419 scam: "Mr. Richard Phillips" <richard414morris_at01@gazeta.pl> GOOD DAY MY DEAR FRIEND,

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:

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)
- "million 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)
- ",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)
- "international remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "chief auditor" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
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.
- richard2011phillips_at02@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Richard Phillips" <richard414morris_at01@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: richard2011phillips_at02@videobank.it
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2011 13:31:07 -0800 (PST)
Subject: GOOD DAY MY DEAR FRIEND,

GOOD DAY MY DEAR FRIEND,

Please could you permit me to introduce myself to you hoping that you will not treat this mail as an internet junk mail neither will you treat it as a joke.

I want to ask you to kindly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new bank account immediately to receive this money, though an empty bank account could serve this purpose as long as you will remain honest to me till the end of this important business trusting in you and believing in God that you will never let me down either now or in time to come. I am Mr. Richard Phillips, 56 years of age from London and a Chief Auditor in the International Remittance Department (IRD) in London I have an amount in Excess of Two Hundred & Sixty Million Pounds (£260,000.000.00) only, which has been lying, in our suspense escrow account for safekeeping. I would want us to make a first transfer of [Sixty Million Pounds.] (£60,000,000.00) from this money into a safe foreigners account abroad before the rest. I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be

approved to a local account, without valid international foreign agreements but could only be approved to any foreigner with valid international credentials: passport or drivers license and foreign account because the former owner of the account is a foreigner too, thus the money could only be approved into a foreign account.

For over 6years plus now unclaimed belonging to a "dead customer" Mr. John Paul Getty from United States of America who died on Apr. 17, 2003 after a brief illness in London Hospital (BBC News), Visit the web site below for confirmation; http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/uk/2956897.stm, It is only me and 2 other top Management staff knows about the money and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing, and Government of United Kingdom will confiscate the FUNDS for their personal use, which I personally don't want such incident to happen being that this is a great opportunity in my life. So I will not allow it to Automatically move to the Bank Vault {Central Bank of United Kingdom} as "UNCLAIMED FUND".

All I need from you now is to present you to the Bank Management as the next of kin to the dead man and have the Bank pay you (Beneficiary) this money as your late Uncle's money which he left in our bank since you are a foreigner like him. We will be having a top management meeting in 5days time from now, hence you need to write me back soon so that I can instruct you what to do fast. So, Please if you are interested, kindly get back to me as quickly as possible to enable me make all the necessary arrangement towards how to present you to the bank as "truly next of kin" to the late man. It does not matter if you are from America or not.

At the conclusion of this business, you will take 40% of the total amount, 50% will be for me, while 10% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during this process.

Please always write to me on my private email address: {richard2011phillips_at02@hotmail.com} for effective

communication b/w us. Furthermore, Pals indicate your options towards assisting me as I believe that this transaction would be concluded within six (6) days you signify your interest to assist me.

Thanks for your understanding as I wait and anticipating hearing from you urgently.

Best Regards,

Mr. Richard Phillips.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam