419 scam: "John Richards"<John44@yahoo.com> Good Day,

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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:
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "my names are " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
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.
- john_richards49@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "John Richards" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <john_richards49@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 16 May 2014 08:13:01 -0700
Subject: Good Day,

*Good day:*

Be informed that my previous mail was not responded to since I did not hear from you. I am pleased to solicit once again

your sincere and urgent assistance over this matter I have been pondering over and over; my names are Mr. John

Richards. I am a political refugee residing presently in Accra Ghana. I am seeking for your co-operation and devotion in setting up a company or Real Estate in your country; I planned to invest with your 100% assistance.*

However, I do not know any investor in your country whom I may trust to handle the business on my behalf hence, I am a foreigner and will likely travel

out of the United Kingdom as soon as my refugee status is over. I need experienced personnel or corporate body that can assist me to set up

this project successfully.

As a matter of fact , I intend to invest USD $150 Million which shall be moved to your country as soon as we sign or endorse a Non

Disclosure and Non Circumvention Agreement. I intend to give you 10% of the total sum and may be another 10% of the profit realized for 5 years.

I will inform my attorney to prepare Fee Protection Agreement which we shall sign for our mutual interest. Your immediate reply will be highly

appreciated. I shall give you more detailed information concerning this project as soon as I receive your reply and contact details.Pls. reply via my direct private email address: john_richards49@yahoo.com

Looking forward to your soonest response.

Mr. John Richards.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam