419 scam: "MR.JOHN WILLIAM HARRIS" <johnharris@walla.co.il> CUSTOMS SERVICES USA AUTHORITY COUNTRY

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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:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "the consignment" (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)
- "consignment " (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)
- "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "high court" (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.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
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.
- johnaharis624@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR.JOHN WILLIAM HARRIS" <johnharris@walla.co.il>
Reply-To: johnaharis624@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2017 06:14:24 +0300 (EAT)
Subject: CUSTOMS SERVICES USA AUTHORITY COUNTRY

CUSTOMS SERVICES USA AUTHORITY COUNTRY
DIRECTOR OFFICE IN CHIEF
WILLIAM B. WELSTEAD
DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
3200 EAST AIRFIELD DFW TX 75261

ATTENTION;

PLEASE THERE IS SOMETHING BEWILDERED WHICH I DO NOT UNDERSTOOD,(MR.THOMAS)
YOUR BROTHER IS TRYING TO MAKE US BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE IN SICK BED AND NOT
CAPABLE TO HANDLE THE TRANSACTION. HE EVEN EXPLAINED THAT YOU ENTERED INTO
AN AGREEMENT WITH HIM THERE BY MAKING HIM THE CURRENT BENEFICIARY OF THE
CONSIGNMENT BOX . YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX WHICH WAS CONFISCATED BY THIS US
CUSTOM OFFICE IN DALLAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TX .

HE CLAIMED TO BE YOUR NEXT OF KIN AND HE IS HERE TO SEND THE NEEDED FEE OF
$118 TO SENEGAL FOR THE ASSURANCE OF THE ORIGINAL AWARD OWNERSHIP
CERTIFICATE DOCUMENTS,THAT IS WHY I AM WRITING THIS MESSAGE TO YOU TODAY,
IN VIEW OF THIS DEVELOPMENT. YOU ARE REQUESTED TO CONFIRM TO THIS OFFICE
THE TRUTH OF THIS MATTER, WHETHER WE ARE TO RELEASE THE CONSIGNMENT BOX TO
YOUR BROTHER,I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AND TO VERIFY WHETHER YOU ARE THE ONE
THAT SENT HIM TO RECEIVE THE CONSIGNMENT BOX BEFORE WE CAN ALLOW HIM TO
SEND THE THE $118 FOR THE MAN IN CHARGE OF THE CERTIFICATE OF OWNERSHIP
MR. IGWE MACK. PLEASE DO CONFIRM TO US INSTANTLY AS A MATTER OF URGENCY IF
THIS MAN IS REALLY FROM YOU SO THAT THIS OFFICE WILL NOT BE HELD
RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING WRONG PERSON.

BE ADVICE THAT WE ARE READY TO RELEASE YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX TO MR.THOMAS
PACHECO AND I DON'T THINK YOU WILL BLAME ANYONE IN THIS OFFICE IF THIS
HAPPEN WHICH YOU HAVE ALREADY PAID SOME MONEY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF BENIN
REPUBLIC IN THE PAST BASED ON THE INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY, THAT
IS ALL I NEED TO INFORM YOU NOW. PLEASE YOU SHOULD RESPOND URGENTLY TO
ENABLE US TO KNOW WHETHER YOU WERE THE ONE THAT SENT HIM BECAUSE THERE IS
NUMEROUS SCAM PROGRAM ISSUES GOING ON IN THE WORLD TODAY WHICH YOU MUST BE
AWARE OF.

IF YOU ARE VERY SURE THAT YOU ARE NOT THE ONE SENT MR.THOMAS PACHECO AS AN
INSIDER IN THIS FINANCIAL INSTITUTION, GO AHEAD NOW TO SEND THE $118 WITH
THIS PAYMENT INFORMATION IN ORDER TO ENABLE SENEGAL HIGH COURT OBTAIN THIS
NEEDED CERTIFICATES SO THAT YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOUR
ADDRESS TO AVOID LOSING YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX.

Here is the information you can use to send the $118.00 by Money Gram /
Western Union OK.

RECEIVER NAME: IGWE MACK
CITY.............. DAKAR
COUNTRY.........SENEGAL
ADDRESS .....ROUTE DES ALMADIES, DAKAR, SENEGAL
TEST QUESTION:.............URGENT
ANSWER:..................... URGENT
AMOUNT:$118.00
M T C N # No.....

YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX IS HERE FOR LONGTIME NOW DUE TO YOUR DELAY AFTER THE
DIPLOMAT AGENT FROM AFRICA ARRIVED WITH YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX AND WE ARE TO
GIVE YOU SOME BUSINESS DAYS? WE NEED IT AT THE OFFICE WITHIN SOME BUSINESS
DAYS OR WE WILL RELEASED YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX TO MR.THOMAS ALLEN.
http://news.kremlin.ru/media/events/photos/big/41d3c84e668055ef2a05.jpeg
THANK AND GOD BLESS.
BEST REGARDS
EMAIL :: johnaharis624@gmail.com
JOHN WILLIAM HARRIS MANAGER

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam