419 scam: "Mr.John R. Crook" <mr.kevincontact@gmail.com> Please kindly inform us if you are not the addressee to this letter

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:
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- info.john.r.crook@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.John R. Crook" <mr.kevincontact@gmail.com>
Reply-To: info.john.r.crook@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2021 23:44:49 -0800
Subject: Please kindly inform us if you are not the addressee to this letter

Attention Dear:

I have been directed to contact you today by the UNITED NATIONS
COMPENSATION COMMISSION PAYS OUT FUNDS, This is because you have been
approved to receive a compensation sum of $500,000.00 from the Senate
Committee on Local and Foreign Debts. It was established in our
records that you rendered assistance to some person(s) in the past who
sought your help to assist them move out a certain sum of money out of
the country to your own country for business investment. However,
after using you and subjecting you to spend lots of money to achieve
this purpose, the fund was not released to you as they promised. In
the process, you lost some good monies and did not receive any dime up
to date.

This particular amount of $500,000.00 has been approved to be paid to
you as compensation for all your past efforts in helping your West
African partners without success. The compensation amount is to help
you recover what you have lost in the past and start your life afresh
again. Due to some international/local financial restrictions, This
amount shall be successfully converted and credited into a Visa/
Master Card or Through bank to bank Swift transfer, and send to your
address through any of the international courier services. This is to
avoid any illegal banking process and you will be advice with further
details on the process involved upon receiving a return email from
you.kindly get back to me with my private email: for more details:
info.john.r.crook@gmail.com

Please kindly inform us if you are not the addressee to this letter
and delete the contents of this email for confidential reason.
Thank you very much for your understanding and cooperation

Best regards
Yours faithfully
John R. Crook
473 Bethnal Green Road,
London, E2 9QH

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam