419 scam: "Edward Jones" <eedwrdjns@aol.com> Hope All Is Well?

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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:
- ",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)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
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.
- jonesedcat@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Edward Jones" <eedwrdjns@aol.com>
Reply-To: jonesedcat@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2011 12:40:49 +0100
Subject: Hope All Is Well?

Edward Jones Advocaten
Klieverink 100B
Post Code 1104 KC,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

YOUR REF: CGT/483/010 02/02/2011

I must first solicit your trust and confidence in this transaction; this
is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential and top secret.
Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one
apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that it will all be fine
at the end of the day.

I am Barrister Edward Jones,personal Attorney in The Netherlands to Late
Mr. Johnson Stevens.The purpose of my contacting you is to help secure
the funds €12,500,000.00(Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand Euros) left
behind by my late client, to avoid it being confiscated or declared
serviceable by the Bank where it was deposited before his death.

This Bank has issued a notice for me to contact any of his relatives or
next of kin otherwise the account will be declared unserviceable and the
fund diverted to the Bank treasury, So far all my efforts to get in
contact with someone related to him has proved abortive. Hence, I decided
contacted you. I am actually asking seeking your consent to present you to
the Bank as the Next of Kin/beneficiary of my late client’s funds, so that
the funds can be easily be transferred into your nominated account.

All the legal documentations to back up your claim as my client's
relative/ Next of Kin will be provided by me. All that is required is your
honest cooperation to enable us achieve this goal
I wish to point out that 20% of this money will be given to charity
Organizations, while the remaining 80% will be shared equally between you
and me. This proposition is entirely risk free.

I will use my position as the client’s attorney to guarantee the
successful execution of this transaction. If you are interested, please
contact me via email: jonesedcat@hotmail.com upon your response, I shall
then provide you with more details and relevant documents in regards to
this transaction.

The intended transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement
that will protect you from any infraction of the law. However, if this
business proposition offends your moral ethics, do accept my sincere
apology. If on the contrary you wish to achieve this goal with me, kindly
get back to me with your interest for further explanation.

Kind Regards

Barrister Edward Jones

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam