419 scam: "Barr Johnson Wilson" <anita@boi.com> From Barrister Johnson Wilson

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:
- "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. )
- "the consignment" (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)
- "consignment " (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)
- "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "united state of america" (this email uses bad English)
- "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
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.
- +447024034368 (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.
- barrjohnsonwilson@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Barr Johnson Wilson" <anita@boi.com>
Reply-To: barrjohnsonwilson@ymail.com
Date: Thu, 24 May 2012 08:32:58 +0530
Subject: From Barrister Johnson Wilson

Barrister Johnson Wilson
DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER: + 44-702-403-4368
Address: 6 Park Crescent, Near Manchester Airport,
Greater Manchester,M14 5RE,England.

Good day and compliments, I know this letter will definitely come to
you as a huge surprise, but I implore you to take the time to go
through it carefully as the decision you make will go a long way.
Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Attorney Johnson Wilson a
solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney to late Capt. Peter
Force, German national; a soldier serving with the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) in Afghanistan.

My client was involved in helicopter crash that killed nine troops
from the NATO-led force in Afghanistan's, unfortunately my Client
Capt. Peter Force lost his live, may his sole rest in peace Amen.
Since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of my late
clients extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful.

After these several unsuccessful attempts, to locate any member of his
family hence I contacted you. I am contacting you to assist in
repatriating the money left behind by my client before it will get
confiscated by the security vault, my self and my late client have
successful move the fund to the United State of America (Atlanta
Georgia) before his sudden death through a diplomatic means by the
help of a United Nation approved diplomat.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives, I seek your
consent to present you as the legal recipient of the fund on behalf of
my late client, so that the sum of US$65Million will be paid to you in
cash in Atlanta Georgia where the consignment is at the moment then
you and I can share the money. 60% to me and 40% to you, I have all
necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may
make. All I require from you is your honest Cooperation to enable us
seeing this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under
a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the
law of the United State.

What interests me most in contacting you is the fact that I will want
to invest my own share of the money in the United State base on your
advice. Please if you are genuinely interested in the transaction, you
are here by required to send me your full name, Residential or Company
address, Private Telephone and Fax numbers where you can always be
reach so that I can proceed in getting the Release Order
document/consignment PIN Code in your name, which will enable the
diplomat in Atlanta Georgia release the consignment where the total
sum is to you in cash has the legal recipient.

Also, I do hereby wish to crave your indulgence for your time to visit
the website as stated below regarding the crash.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100921/ts_nm/us_afghanistan

It is of paramount importance that you keep the details of the
transaction to yourself. Utmost confidentiality and secrecy are what
is needed from you in order to successfully receive funds from the
diplomat in Atlanta Georgia.

However, If you are not capable of handling the transaction, please
delete this message and do not tell anyone about it.

I await your response urgently since we don't have much time left,
response to this email:barrjohnsonwilson@yahoo.co.uk

Thanks and God bless you.

Barrister Johnson Wilson.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam