419 scam: "William Harvey"<aaron@tucsonrealtors.org> OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME

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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:
- "million us 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)
- "payments processing" (Beware of any scheme that involves depositing checks or money orders or receiving wire transfers in your bank account and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere, for a percentage of 5-15% of the total. Such offers are *always* fraudulent and you will be liable for the entire amount when the checks, money orders or wire transfers turn out to be fraudulent. Any money already forwarded comes out of *your* pocket then. )
- "offshore account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
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.
- williamharvey40@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "William Harvey" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <williamharvey40@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 01:04:23 -0500
Subject: OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME - A MUST READ EMAIL

Good day,

My name is William Harvey I am a senior partner in the Technical Advisory Board of Europe Arab Bank and Head of Global Payments Processing. I am a private banker to Christophe de Margerie, the late CEO of Total Oil who recently died in Plane crash. He deposited a total of 9 million US dollar in an offshore account which was a proceed of secret oil deal with Iraqi government last year.

I AM THE ONLY PERSON WHO IS AWARE OF THE ACCOUNT AND BECAUSE OF THE SECRECY SURROUNDING THE OIL DEAL
He has yet to name a next of kin on the said account before he passed way I contact you independently because the account is opened in joint name to avoid trace to him . Me and him only know this secret. the name matches your name and this is why i have contact you to present you as the beneficiary of the money left in the account after his sudden death so I believe it may be of interest to you to be named the beneficiary of the 9 million US DOLLARS left in the account..

As his private banker, I am placed in a position to nominate you as the sole beneficiary and instruct the firm to release the deposit to you as a business partner to late Christophe de Margerie Upon the release of the money to you ,we will be able to work a 50/50 agreement to share the proceed If you can be discrete, send me
your Full Name:
Occupation:
Address and Telephone numbers
to enable me produce documentation for release of the funds in your name. If you are willing , we can arrange to meet in Switzerland during one of my business trip we should or if you will be able to come to the United Kingdom for a face to face meeting sooner.

Please send your reply to my private email below
williamharvey40@hotmail.com

Kind regards,
William Harvey

Anti-fraud resources:

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