419 scam: "Maxwell Thomas" <william.binns@contract-uk.com> Contact my secretary Linda Morgan

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:
- "maxatlaw@outlook.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" 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.
- linda.amorgan@aol.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Maxwell Thomas" <william.binns@contract-uk.com>
Reply-To: maxatlaw@aol.com
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2015 17:34:01 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Contact my secretary Linda Morgan

Hello Dear,

I hope that this mail meets you in good shape, it is with great joy that
I inform you about my success in getting the funds transferred to a Swiss
Account with the cooperation of a new partner from London who is an
international business man.

Presently I am in the United States for investment projects with my own
share of the funds but Meanwhile, I did not forget your past efforts and
attempts to assist me in transferring those funds despite that it failed
us some how.

Contact my secretary,
Name: Ms Linda Morgan.
Email: linda.amorgan@aol.com

Instruct Linda where to send you the international certified bank check I
made out in your name, Please do let me know immediately you receive it so
that we can share the joy after all that we have gone through in the past.
At the moment, I am very busy here because of the investment projects and
may not be able to respond to your mail on time.

regards,

Maxwell Thomas
maxatlaw@outlook.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam