419 scam: "Mr. Johnson Mboweni."<mrjohnsonmboweni@yahoo.com> Re: 23-09-2010

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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)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million united states 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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Johnson Mboweni." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrjohnsonmboweni@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 03:25:33 +0100
Subject: Re: 23-09-2010

My Dear Friend,

I know this will come to you as a surprise because you do not know me. I am Mr. Johnson Mboweni. I work with the South African Reserve Bank packaging and courier department. I got your contact in my search for an honest person through one of my colleagues here in the Reserve Bank that said that I could confide in you.

I want you to help me clear this package that is already in Houston Texas (USA), which I shipped through our South African Reserve Bank (SARB) accredited courier agent, the contents of the package is Ten Million United States Dollars Only ($10,000,000.00) all in $100.00 bills, but the courier company does not know that it is money that I have in the package. It was lebelled "Photographic Equipments"

All I want you to do for me now is to give me your mailing address your private phone and fax and I hope that at the end of the day, you will have 30% and 70% will be for me. My identity must not be revealed to any body.

If this arrangement is ok by you, you can contact me through this E-mail address for us to discuss the modalities including sending of the keys to the boxes to you.

Yours faithfully,

Mr. Johnson Mboweni.
Courier Department (SARB).
Tel: +2710 500 2205.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam