419 scam: "Watts"<onlineofficeweb@att.net> IT IS MY PLEASURE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH 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:
- ",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)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Watts" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <johnvwatts2011@live.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2011 16:16:52 -0000
Subject: IT IS MY PLEASURE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU..

Dear Inheritor

This notification memo has been sent to you three times without a response from you and this will be the last time and I do hope you receive it.

This is an unconventional way of relaying an important message such as this. Due to the urgency of this issue, I resorted in contacting you via email and I do apologize if it did not meet up with professional ethics.

This inquiry is about an account holder (Name Withheld) who bears same surname with you and the true position of his deposits at ADB Invest Account. This Investor died and has no successor in title over his fund with the bank amounting to over USD$7,000,000.

The essence of this communication with you is to request that you provide us information/comments on any or all of the four issues as regards nominating you to inherit the fund left behind by this client.

1-Are you aware of any relative/relation born on the 2nd of February 1951, who bears your same surname whose last known contact address was Ireland?

2-Are you aware of any investment of considerable value made by such a person at the ADB Bank Group?

3-Can you confirm your willingness to accept this inheritance if you are legally and legitimately appointed.

4-Would you agree to donate part of this inheritance to charity if you are officially approved to stand as the inheritor?

It is pertinent that you inform us ASAP whether or not you are familiar with this personality or and your interest towards the issues mentioned.

You must appreciate that we are constrained from providing you with more detailed information at this point. We will provide you with additional information upon receipt of your response.

Upon your response, I will contact you with more detailed information on the deceased client and the process of nominating you to inherit his wealth.

Your faithful,

Mr John V. Watts
Senior Consultant officer
JW Consultants
194 Regent Street, Westminster London,
W1S 2XG, United Kingdom

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam