419 scam: "Peter Williams"<webmaster@dagcentrum.be> Lieber Freund!!!

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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)
This email message is a next of kin 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.
- petewiliam@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Peter Williams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: < petewiliam@aim.com>
Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2017 20:19:35 -0500
Subject: Lieber Freund!!!

Lieber Freund!!!

Ich vermute das diese E-Mail eine Überraschung für Sie sein wird, aber es ist wahr.Ich bin bei einer routinen Überprüfung in meiner Bank (StandardBank PLC von Süd Afrika) wo ich arbeite, auf einem Konto gestoßen, was nicht in anspruch genommen worden ist, wo derzeit USD$18.5M (Achtzehn Million, Fünf Hundert Tausend, US Dollar) gutgeschrieben sind. Dieses Konto gehörte Herrn Michael Hartmann, der ein Kunde in unsere Bank war, der leider verstorben ist. Herr Michael Hartmann war ein gebürtiger Deutscher.

Damit es mir möglich ist dieses Geld $18,500,000 inanspruch zunehmen,benötige ich die zusammenarbeit eines Ausländischen Partners wie Sie,den ich als Verwandter und Erbe des verstorbenen Michael Hartmann vorstellen kann,damit wir das Geld inanspruch nehmen können. Für diese Unterstützung erhalten Sie 30% der Erbschaftsumme und die restlichen 70% teile ich mirmit meinen zwei Arbeitskollegen, die mich bei dieser Transaktion ebenfalls unterstützen.

Wenn Sie interessiert sind, können Sie mir bitte eine E-Mail schicken, damit ich Ihnen mehr Details zukommen lassen kann. N.B.BITTE SENDEN SIE
MIR Peter Williams ANTWORT ZU durch mein E-mail: ( petewiliam@aim.com ) fÜR VERTRAULICHEN GRUND. Schicken Sie keine POST ZU MEINEM BÜRO-E-MAIL.
(petewiliam@aim.com )

If you understand english,please kindly reply with english ( petewiliam@aim.com )

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Herr.Peter Williams

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam