419 scam: "Grace Williams"<grace.williams2003@yahoo.com> Letter of intent.

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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.

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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:
- "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)
- ",500,000" (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)
This email message is a "dying widow" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Grace Williams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <williams.grace63@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2010 18:00:53 +0100
Subject: Letter of intent.

Dear Beloved in Christ,

I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I am Mrs. Grace Williams, a widow I am 63 years old suffering from cancer of the breast, my husband and my only son were killed two years ago during the UK terrorist Attack here in London years back. My condition is serious and according to my doctor, he said it is obvious that I may not survive. I have some funds that my late husband WILLED to me in cash the sum of £4,500,000.00 (Four Million Five Hundred Thousand British Pounds).

I packaged it in a Trunk Box and deposited it in a Finance House. After my prayers, I was divinely led to search a lovely site in the Internet, I found your email address and I decided to contact you, to use this fund for the expansion of the kingdom of God before anything could happen to me.

Therefore child of God, if you are honest and faithful enough to use this fund strictly to help the widows and less privileged together with orphanage homes across the world, then respond back to me immediately for the details on how to get the fund in your possession.

Yours in the Lord,

Mrs. Grace Williams.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam