419 scam: Dr. Jeffery Smith <jeff63@aol.com> Important

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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:

The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "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)
- "hundred thousand 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)
- "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
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.
- suelewiso@yahoo.co.jp (Yahoo, Japan; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: Dr. Jeffery Smith <jeff63@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 16:15:33 -0700
Subject: Important

Dear friend,

Hope you are doing fine. You were informed that you won a lottery or that you are to be presented as next of kin to someone in other to have some funds transferred to you. But the truth of the matter is that Me and my other five co-workers who worked in a Swiss bank agreed to move an unclaimed fund out and share. Of which the fund has been dormant in an account for fifty years without any beneficiary. We were looking for a foreigner to receive the money on our behalf which was the main reason you were involved in a fund transfer process that was never transferred to you, my partners wanted to divert the funds to another foreigner without my knowledge, then started demanding unnecessary fees from you. I understand how you feel and this message is to thank you for your past effort, I am happy to inform you that the Ten Million Us dollars was transferred successfully to my new partner in Qatar and I relocated to Qatar with my family to start up a new life and invest my own share of the money. It was unfortunate that you were not the one who received the money in your account, but to show you that I am a man of my word, I left you a cheque of Seven Hundred Thousand US dollars with a security company in South Africa to compensate you for your past effort and commitment.

For a long time, I have been trying to reach you after I lost your contact. So stop every communication you are having with anybody telling you that they are processing your fund transfer be it Inheritance fund or Lottery prize or whatever you were told. Because now you know the truth of the fund transfer you are pursuing.

My secretary will help you get the cheque and send it to you, she does not know the history between me, you and the money I left for your compensation. But I gave her a secret code which she will use to identify you as the rightful owner of the package I kept in a security company for you. The government of South Africa will demand a huge some of taxation on the amount I left for you before it will be released to you but all you need to do is to provide my secretary with Two hundred and Fifty Us dollars to get a tax waiver documentation which she will submit to the security company on your behalf to get the cheque from the security company and send to you. Your secret code is: LO2Y8WQ

Give her your name, address and secret code, so that she will recognize you as the right beneficiary.

Contact Mrs. Sue Lewis through: Email: suelewiso@yahoo.co.jp

Have a good day.

Best regards,
Dr. Jeffery Smith.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam