419 scam: "Mrs. Elizabeth M. Williams" <"www."@etude.ocn.ne.jp> ATTENTION

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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:
- "activation fee" (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. )
- "hundred thousand 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)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
MoneyGram money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. Along with Western Union it is a preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
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.
- +22998720478 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- cliffordsmith656@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Elizabeth M. Williams" <"www."@etude.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: "Mrs. Elizabeth M. Williams" <cliffordsmith656@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2017 05:48:30 +0900 (JST)
Subject: ATTENTION

GOOD DAYS,

YOUR OVERDUE PAYMENT OF FOUR MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS ($4.700,000,00) ONLY, IS APPROVE TO SEND TO YOU THROUGH MONEY GRAM TRANSFER AGENCY. PLEASE WE ARE SORRY FOR THE DELAYING, I KNOWN WE HAVE TRIED TO SEND IT LAST TIME, BUT DUE TO YOUR INABILITY TO PAY THE DELIVERING FEE MADE US TO STOP, AND THAT IS WHY WE DEPOSIT YOUR $4.7 TO MONEY GRAM HEAD OFFICE HERE IN BENIN.

YOUR TO CONTACT THE MANAGER TO START YOUR DAILY PAYMENT IMMEDIATELY, AND YOU WILL RECEIVE IT IN ANY MONEY GRAM AGENT AROUND YOU. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT YOU WILL RECEIVE DAILY IS $9800,00 US DOLLAR, YOU CANNOT RECEIVE MORE THAN $9800,00 DAILY.FORWARD YOUR FULL INFORMATION TO THE MONEY GRAM AGENT TO THIS INFORMATION: (cliffordsmith656@gmail.com)PHONE:+229-987-204-78, HIS NAME: MR CLIFFORD SMITH.

BENEFICIARY NAME:.................
CURRENT ADDRESS:....................
CELL PHONE NUMBER:...................
A COPY OF YOUR ID OR YOUR ID NUMBER:::

NOT; THAT THE ACTIVATION OF YOUR DAILY PAYMENT IS $180, THE MANAGER WILL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU WILL USE TO SEND THE ACTIVATION FEE OF $180, AS SOON HE CONFIRM YOUR FULL INFORMATION AS BENEFICIARY. SO FORWARD YOUR INFO TO HIS E-MAIL:
cliffordsmith656@gmail.com PHONE:+229-987-204-78, HIS NAME:CHRIS SMITH, TELL HIM TO GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU WILL USE SEND THE $180, ACTIVATION FEE FOR HIM TO WIRE YOUR FIRST PAYMENT IMMEDIATELY.

CONGRATULATION ONCE AGAIN.
Mrs. Elizabeth M. Williams
ECOWAS CHARITY PAYMENT AGENCY

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam