419 scam: Mr JEAN FRANCOIS <contact@jean-francois.com> URGENT !

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:

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.
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- j_francois4@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mr JEAN FRANCOIS <contact@jean-francois.com>
Reply-To: <j_francois4@aim.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2014 23:39:39 +0000
Subject: URGENT !

Hello

I am Mr. Jean FranÃ§ois , Director of accounts in a bank instead. I have
financial and confidential proposal for you . A floating sum of U.S. $
3,950,000 usd belonging to a deceased customer whose name was
identified
and noted unclaimed in our audits and archives.

As one of the key executives of the bank, I am obliged to inform you
that I am looking for someone with whom I can unlock this sum. I
therefore ask you to agree to be the next of kin and claim the funds.

In general, these species if the funds are forfeited to the government
treasury as unclaimed fund. According to the Government after a certain
period , unless they are insistently claimed by next of kin .

Indeed, I would like these funds will be transferred (either in your
bank account or card payment Electronic ATM CARD) entant close relative
of the deceased customer and thereafter we do a fair share of 50 %
each.

Finally , I need your help in all honesty and I promise you there is no
risk because my position in the bank allows me to cover any risk and
the
more I am the only person to oversee this transaction . I have done all
the checks on this arrangement for its execution is clean and fast .

I ask you to treat this letter with the utmost urgency and discretion
possible below my personal address to contact me .

Yours most distinguished

Mr Jean FranÃ§ois
j_francois4@aim.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam