419 scam: "Gerald Johnson"<geraldjhjh4@gmail.com> From Gerald 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.

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:
- "death certificate" (this phrase is often used in inheritance scams such as next of kin or https://www.419scam.org/419-murdered-businessman.htm">orphan scams. )
- "confidential business" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "very confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Gerald Johnson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <geraldjhjh1@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2012 17:14:09 -0500
Subject: From Gerald Johnson.

I am Gerald Johnson, Manager of a bank in Wales .I wish to notify you
that i have an urgentand very confidential business proposition for you. A deceased
man from your country,Late Mr.Martin Hembrecht.he
was a Gold and oil Dealer,he made a huge numbered (Fixed) Deposit,in our bank.
Attched is the dulicate of the deposit certificate that was issued to him,
also attached is his death certificate so that you will see for your perusal.
Upon the maturity of his fund, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding
address but got no reply. After some months, I sent a reminder to his forwarding
address, and was told that he died from an automobile accident. I therefore made further
investigation and discovered that he did not declare any next of kin or relations
in all his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank.I
decided to contact you because of your good name in the society, i believe that
we can handle the situation together.Basically i want to present you as the
beneficiary to the inheritance to claim the money with all the legal papers which
will be processed in your acceptance to this deal. If you are interested,then i
request that you kindly forward to me your acceptance Notification; your current
telephone and fax numbers and a forwarding address to enable me file necessary
documents for the release of this sum of money in your name as the beneficiary.Then
i will give you the remainng details that will enable you to understand everything.
Please contact me for further details of the funds.
Gerald

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam