419 scam: "Mr. Bruce Anderson"<bruce_anderson@usa.com> How are yo doing?

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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:

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:
- ",500,000" (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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- +2348058691692 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- ctm.williams@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Bruce Anderson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ctm.williamsjr@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2014 11:04:21 -0700
Subject: How are yo doing?

>From the Office of: Mr. Bruce Anderson.
Coordinator of African Union/United Nations
Scam Victims Payment, Rehabilitation Scheme.
United Nation Office. Ecowas Buiding.
Lagos Nigeria.

Attn: Beneficiary/scam victim

This is to bring to your notice that I am delegated from the United Nations To the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pay some scam victims the sum of $1,500,000.00 (ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLAR) each. You are listed and approved for this payment as one of the scammed victims to be paid this amount, please ignore this email if you have not been scammed before but respond immediately if you are a victim of scam related activity.
This payments is been supervised by the United Nations Officials and Top official of the African Union, According to the number of application we have received, Your particulars was mentioned to us by one of the fraud star who was arrested Anti fraud Unit of Inter Pol in Africa, you are hereby warned not to communicate or duplicate this message to any person for any reason what so ever pending the release of your money so that you will not compromise the investigation and procesution of some fraud stars that are already in the police net and the search for some other fraud stars presently at large.

For the release of your compensation money You are hereby advised to contact the payment officer in Nigeria with the details below:

Name...Mr. Chidinma R. Williams
E-mail: ctm.williams@gmail.com
Phone:- +234 805 869 1692.

Mr. Chidinma R. Williams will direct you on how to receive your money as soon as you establish contact with him through his contact listed above.

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Bruce Anderson.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam