419 scam: "Mr.James Catoun" <jamescatoun555@yahoo.com> Dear beloved friend

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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:
- "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 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)
This email message is a "dying widow" 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.
- jamescatoun50@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.James Catoun" <jamescatoun555@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: jamescatoun50@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 08 Jan 2014 19:14:43 +0200
Subject: Dear beloved friend

--
Dear beloved friend,

I know that this letter may be a very big surprise to you, I am giving you
my trust and wish you will give me back the trust i have given you.I
believe that you will be honest to fulfill my final wish beffore I will
die.

I am Mr. JAMES CATOUN, I am 58 years old, I am suffering from a long time
cancer of the blood .From all indication my condition is really
deteriorating, and my doctors have courageously advised me that I may not
live beyond the next two months, this is because the cancer stage
hasreached a critical stage. I was brought up in a motherless baby's
home,and was married to my late wife for twenty years without a child . My
wife and I are true Christians, but quite unfortunately, she died in a
lobourroom so i could not hear the cry of a child in my house Since her
death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my belongings and deposited all
the sum of $10.2million dollars with a security company , as it was
packaged and registered as a personal Valuable.

Presently, this money is still in their custody, and the management just
wrote me as the Legitimate beneficiary to come forward to receive the
Deposit after keeping it for so long or rather issue a letter of
authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come
over as a result of my illness, Presently,I'm with my laptop in a hospital
where I have been undergoing treatment. I have since lost my ability to
walk about or do anything by myself and my doctors have told me that I have
only a few months to live.

It is my last wish to see that this money is invested in any business of
your choice and the gain made every year or 6 months as the case may
be,distributed each year among the charity organization, the poor and the
motherless baby's home where I come from. I want your good humanitarian,to
also use this money to fund churches, orphanages and widows around, 20% for
you I must let you know that this was a very hard decision, but I had to
take a bold step towards this issue because I have no further option. I
hope you will help see my last wishes come true.As soon as I receive your
reply I shall give you the contact of the security company. I will also
issue you a letter of authority, which will prove that you are the new
beneficiary of my funds. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as
I stated herein,

please get bact to me through this email address. jamescatoun50@yahoo.com

Hope to hear from you soonest

Awaiting your reply

Yours Sincerely
Mr. JAMES CATOUN

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