419 scam: "MR. GEORGE WILLIAMS"<p_eddywilliams@email.bg> PLEASE GET BACK TO ME IMMEDIATELY..

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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:
- "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)
- "george_williams@secretarias.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "MR. GEORGE WILLIAMS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <george_williams@secretarias.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:57:45 -0300
Subject: PLEASE GET BACK TO ME IMMEDIATELY..

Dear,

Greeting to you,

I am Mr Goerge Williams from Nigeria I want to seek your assistance, I'm a staff of UNITED BANK OF AFRICA,(UBA) In my department I discovered an abandoned sum of USD$15million US dollars in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family in plane Crash 2005,

Since his death, the bank have been expecting his next of Kin to apply and to claim his money because we can't release it unless somebody applies for it as his next of Kin, his son was the next of kin and his in the plane too, please I want you to stand as his next of kin so that the bank will transfer the fund into your account then I will send you my account information for you to transfer my own part of the money to me or i will travel down to your country for the share of the money any one of the choice you like.

Then you transfer my share of the money to my account as my own share, do not view this as been illegal but an opportunity that comes your way, an urgent response to enable me give you more details. please reply with those information's below so that I can know you very well before I go ahead with you,

Your Full Name
Your International passport or ID card.
Your age.
Your private telephone number.
Your country.
Your profession.

Remain bless,
Contact me with (george_williams@secretarias.com)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam