419 scam: "Michael Jones"<michaelajonesjones73@bellsouth.com> THIS IS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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:
- "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "huge deposit" (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)
- "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)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
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.
- michaelajonesjones73@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Michael Jones" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <michaelajonesjones73@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 9 May 2017 14:12:44 -0000
Subject: THIS IS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Hello,

THIS IS FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

I am a Certified Public Accountant officer in my Bank so also account
manager to a deceased customer who was a contractor with a prominent
oil company here in Louisiana . On the 21st of April 2010, our
customer, his wife and their two children were involved in auto-crash.
All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives.

Since then,the Board of Directors of my Bank (ORIGIN BANK) have made
several inquiries to their embassy to locate any of the deceased
customer's extended relations but to no avail. Hence the need to
contact you since you share the same family name with him.

I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money and Property
left behind by this deceased customer before they get Confiscated or
declared unclaimed by the bank where this Huge deposits of US$10M was
lodged.

The Bank has published several Notice for the Next of Kin of the
deceased to apply for
collection of this Funds or have the account confiscated within a
short Period of time.Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the
relatives for over 2 years now, I seek your consent to present you as
the Next of kin of the deceased, so that the proceeds of this Account
valued US $10 million dollars can be paid to you.

I have all legal documents that can be used to backup any claim we may
make. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable this deal
through.I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
Arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the Law. Please
get in touch with my email and send to me your Telephone and fax
numbers to enable us further about this Transaction.reply me in my private email addresses:(michaelajonesjones73@gmail.com)

Please endeavor to maintain the top secret of this transaction so as
to enable us to achieve the adequate success of this fortune.

Best regards,

Michael A. Jones

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam