419 scam: "Mrs. Helen Johnson" <helene4you2012@yahoo.com> HI

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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "huge sum of money" (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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
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.
- mrs.helenjohnson@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Helen Johnson" <helene4you2012@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: "Mrs. Helen Johnson" <mrs.helenjohnson@yahoo.fr>
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2015 22:35:28 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: HI

Â Good day my dear,

My name is Mrs. Helen Baines Johnson from France and I am very sorry for the attachment, I am a 59 years old woman. I was married to late Mr. Johnson who is my husband, and also one of the best contractors here in France, and also a seasoned contractor in London. He was poison to die on, 7th July 2013 by one of his friends in London.

My late husband and I were married for years without a child of our own and after his death I decided not to re-marry or get a child outside my matrimonial home. As i speak to you, I have been diagnosed with congested heart failure, of which the doctors have confirmed and told me that I would not live long. After my husband passed away last year, I realized he deposited a huge sum of money with one of Security Company in London.

The money that was deposited in the Security company was a total of (5.5000.000.00 USD) Five million Five Hundred Thousand USD. As I write to you, I feel that the money in the Security company would be a waste if I die and that is why I have come to a conclusion of donating the money out to the less privilege and also the motherless babies home.

My husband's brother is an addicted smoker and drinker who spend his money on expensive drinks and unnecessary things and so I do not wish for him to have any of the money which my husband worked so hard for all his life. After going through your profile over the internet I decided to contact you for friendship and assistance for distribution of my inheritance. Please, my dear friend I have come to you to help me carry out this last wish of mine earth because I am too weak to move about and also have been confined to a wheel chair in my home in France due to the state of my health and so I can't travel all the way from here.

It is true that I don't know you, but I have been directed by God to do this. If you wish to help me, write back to me at your earliest convenience so that I would direct you on how to contact the Security Company for the transfer of the funds to you in whichever way you may wish to nominate for this purpose. Please send me your name, address, occupation, age, sex, marital status and contact telephone numbers to enable me forward it to the security company for the release of the fund to your custody. I will give you my lawyer contact information for I may not be able to carry out, I am weak less privilege to write or talk.

For more details please kindly contact me on my private email below: ( mrs.helenjohnson@yahoo.fr )

I await your urgent reply.

Thanks for your kindness,

God Bless you,

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Helen Baines Johnson

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam