419 scam: Erick Joshua <william_tom5700@yahoo.in> From Erick Joshua, Please help me.

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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:
- "million dollars" (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)
- "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a orphan scam.
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.
- +22554074943 (Cote d'Ivoire, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: Erick Joshua <william_tom5700@yahoo.in>
Reply-To: Erick Joshua <erjoshua@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 18:37:52 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: From Erick Joshua, Please help me.

Hello Dearest Friend,

In good faith and confidence, I have to introduce myself to you in brief. My name is Mr. Erick Joshua, from Abidjan, Cote d'ivoire. Iâ€™m 23 yrs old and the only son of late Chief Joshua AkÃ©, who was killed by rebels in my country. My late Father was killed with my Mother by the rebels during the recent political crises in my country, Cote D'Ivoire.

My late father also has a Cocoa farm, which was totally burnt by the rebels after he was killed. Please, my reason for contacting you is that I wish to request for your assistance in my efforts to procure the transfer of my inherited money for investment in your country, under your care.

Before the death of my late Father, he secretly deposited the sum of ($8.5 Million Dollars) Eight Million five Hundred Thousand united states dollars, with the Bank here in Abidjan and he inform me that if any thing happened to him, that I should look for a foreign reliable and trustworthy partner to help me invest the money for my future and make sure that I leave the country, he mention this as if he knows that he was going to die. I Pray that their gentle souls, will rest in perfect peace! Amen.

Please, I really need your assistance in receiving the transfer of the money in your local account for investment purposes. As I have concluded and decide to leave here and come over to your country to further my education, while you take care of the investment of the money and I will be glad to give you 15% of the total sum for your co-operation and effort by assisting me.

I will also be very appreciative if you can reply to me as urgent as possible with your full name and private telephone number, so that I will call you for more information. Let me stop here and wait to receive your urgent response. You can call me on this number: 00225 5407 4943.

My Sincere Regards,
Mr. Erick Joshua.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam