419 scam: "Mr. Amuzu Francis,"<catiabia@alice.com> Hi,

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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:
- "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)
- "br_stoe@yahoo.in" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
This email message is a next of kin 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.
- mensah_rich222@yahoo.com.ph (Yahoo, Philippines, Philippines; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Amuzu Francis," (may be fake)
Reply-To: <richard_amuzu22@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:58:23 -0000
Subject: Hi,

Hello,
kindly respond to me with this email address:mensah_rich222@yahoo.com.ph

I am Mr. Amuzu Francis, an Account Officer to Late TONY ROBERT; he is immigrant, who was a businessman and building contractor in Ghana.He bank with the bank which I worked as his account officer. On the 21st of April 2010, unfortunately TONY ROBERT lost his live here in Ghana.

The deceased has an account that valued huge sum of 19 million US Dollars, and I have contacted you to assist in safeguarding the said money left behind by TONY ROBERT in this bank before the bank authority get it confiscated or declared unserviceable. Particularly, the bank has issued me a notice to provide Tony Robert’s next of kin or have the account confiscated within a short time and I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 2 years.

Now I seek your consent to present you as Late Tony Robert’s Next of Kin, so that the proceeds of this account can be paid into your designated bank account to enable us share the money. I have all necessary information’s that can be used to backup any claim we may make. All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us seeing this deal through.

I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Please get in touch with me by my email:br_stoe@yahoo.in and send your telephone numbers to enable us discuss further about this transaction.

Best regards,
Mr. Amuzu.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam