419 scam: "Laura Waters"<wwlaura1@w.cn> can i read from you,please?

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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "a security company " (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. )
- "trunk box" (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)
- "million 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)
- "wlaura1@w.cn" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
This email message is a "dying widow" 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.
- lauraw52521@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Laura Waters" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <wlaura1@w.cn>
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:32:22 +0200
Subject: can i read from you,please?

My dear Friend,
Greetings to you.
I am Mrs. Laura Waters, I am 52 years old, from the Fiji Islands but hospitalised; I lost my ability to speak and suffering from a long time
cancer of the Lungs (stage 4).
From all indication, my condition is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that, according to my doctors they have advised me that I live for
the next few months, this is because the cancer stage four (4) has gotten to a very bad stage.
I was brought up in a motherless babies home, was married to my late husband for twenty years without a child. My husband died in a fatal
motor accident.
Since his death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the sum of $6.5 million dollars with a
Security Company at madrid, spain as family treasury before i was admitted in the hospital.
Presently,this money is still with them in a metallic trunk box and the management just wrote me as the true owner to come forward to receive the deposited
box for keeping it so long or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I cannot come over because of
my illness or forfeit it into their recovery vault.
Presently, It is my last wish to see that this money is invested to any organization of your choice and distributed each year among the
charity organizations, orphanages, widows, and the poor.
I want you as a person who respects Humanity, to travel to spain for the fund inspection and claim.
I took this decision because my time will soon be up so that i can rest in peace.
As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the security company. I will also issue you a letter of authority that will
approve you as the new beneficiary of the deposited metallic trunk box(fund inclusive).
Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein. I hope to receive your positive reply through any of these private email
addresses:
wlaura1@w.cn
lauraw52521@yahoo.com.hk

Yours truly,
Mrs. Laura Waters.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam