419 scam: "Mr.John Cliff" <mr.johncliff1@gmail.com> Happy Xmas And New Year In Advance, Your Attention Is Needed Urgently

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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:
- "hundred thousand united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.John Cliff" <mr.johncliff1@gmail.com>
Reply-To: "Mr.John Cliff" <mrjohncliff@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 2015 22:45:55 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Happy Xmas And New Year In Advance, Your Attention Is Needed Urgently

Attn: Sir/Madam

I am Honourable Barrister John Cliff the personal resident Attorney here in Burkina Faso to Late Mr. Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi of Libya c. 1942 â€“ 20 October 2011.

Late Mr. Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi c. 1942 â€“ 20 October 2011, commonly known as Colonel Gaddafi, was a Libyan former head of state, revolutionary and a politician, who died on 20 October 2011, was my client here in Burkina Faso Africa.

My client Late Mr. Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi c. 1942 â€“ 20 October 2011, was having a deposit sum of {thirty million four Hundred thousand united state dollars} only ($30.4M USD) with a security finance firm affiliated with African development bank here in Burkina Faso.

With the above explanationâ€™s I want to move this money from Burkina Faso to your country, affidavit on your name, but note that this is a deal between me and you and should not be related to anybody until the deal is over for security reasons, please if interested reply as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Barrister John Cliff

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam