419 scam: "Lionel Washington" <lionel.washington@email.com> I'm happy to inform you about my success

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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)
This email message is a "New Partner from Paraguay" 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.
- legaldirectory@legislator.com (Legislator; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Lionel Washington" <lionel.washington@email.com>
Reply-To: lionel.washington@accountant.com
Date: Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:19:25 +0700
Subject: I'm happy to inform you about my success

Dear Friend,

I'm happy to inform you about my success in getting the funds transfer with another associate.

Meanwhile, I did not forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me in transferring those funds despite that it failed us somehow. Now contact my secretary in Cambodia his name is Mr. Johnson Walter on (legaldirectory@legislator.com) ask him to send you the sum of $550,000.00 Either by bank transfer or Diplomatic transfer depending on your conclusion of how you intended to receive which I kept for your compensation for all your past efforts and attempts to assist me on this matter. I appreciated your efforts at that time very much. So feel free and get in touched with my secretary Mr. Johnson Walter and instruct him where to send the amount to you.

Please do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share the joy after all the stress at that time. In the moment, Iâ€™m very busy here because of the investment projects which I and the new partner are having at hand, finally, remember that I had forwarded instruction to my secretary on your behalf to receive that money, so feel free to get in touch with Mr. Johnson Walter he will send the amount to you without any delay.

Best regards,
Lionel Washington.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam