419 scam: "Mr.Laurens Vis"<mr.laurensvis21@rediffmail.com> From Mr.Laurens Vis!

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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "greater london" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- ",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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +447031821967 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.Laurens Vis" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <laurens_vis@rediffmail.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2012 04:42:22 +0200
Subject: From Mr.Laurens Vis!

KAS BANK. Suite 560 Salisbury House
London Wall Broadgate London
EC2M 5NU,United Kingdom
Tel: +447031821967

Please accept my apologies if this request does not meet your personal ethics as it is not intended to cause you any embarrassment in what ever form. I got your contact email address from the internet directory and decided to contact you for this transaction that is based on trust and your outstanding.

Dear Friend

I am Mr.Laurens Vis I work with KAS Bank here in London. With due respect and regard, I am writing you from my office that will be of immense benefit to both of us. In my department, being the Private Banking Credit Manager (Greater London Regional Office), I discovered an abandoned sum of £19,500,000 GBP (Nineteen million five hundred thousand pounds) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers Late Dr. Erin Jacobson, an American citizen who unfortunately lost his life and his entire family in Montana plane crash on March 23, 2009, on their way to agroup ski vacation. The choice of contacting you is aroused from the geographical nature of where you live, particularly due to the sensitivity of this transaction and the confidentiality herein. Now our bank has been waiting for any of the relatives to come-up for the claim but nobody has done that.I personally have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for two years now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin/Beneficiary to

All I require now is your honest co-operation, Confidentiality and Trust to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee you that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

If you are interested in this deal, kindly send me your complete information, your full names and address, Your Private telephone and Fax numbers,Your Private email address,Your Age,Your Country,Marital Status,Your Occupation and Your Personal Mobile Number.

Having gone through a methodical search, I decided to contact you hoping that you will find this proposal interesting. Please on your confirmation of this message and indicating your interest, I will furnish you with more information.

Endeavor to let me know your decision rather than keep me waiting.

Best regards,
Mr.Laurens Vis
Tel: +447031821967

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam