419 scam: "Mary John Miller"<millermarjohn@gmail.com> U.S Treasury Department......................very urgent

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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:
- "consignment " (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 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.
- richymewborn@fromru.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mary John Miller" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <millermaryjohn@pochta.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2014 22:47:05 -0700
Subject: U.S Treasury Department......................very urgent

U.S Treasury Department
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20220.

REF#: HGD/73D-R/347/14

Attn: Sir/Madam,

Good day to you and hope this letter finds you in good state of health.

International Centre for Debts Settlement (ICDS) is a subsidiary of U.S TREASURY DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON DC. We are established for recovering g of huge funds in snags, settling all foreign/local debts and we are not just a bank in the ordinary sense but a unique partnership to reduce poverty and support development through out the globe.

I am writing you today from U.S TREASURY DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON DC as regards to the sum of $5.5Million which has been abandoned in the Federal Reserve Account. It was during our last summit with the SECRETARY OF THE STATES, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF), some relevant Security Agencies and other Financial Institutes, to settle all foreign/local debts in the United States, we discovered this abandoned funds in the Federal Reserve Account tagged "Unclaimed Lottery Prize (Sponsored by Microsoft and National Lottery)".

In the cause of our investigations, we were able to trace the funds to its root and found out that the abandoned funds belongs to you with the help of your personal data attached to it. We further realized that you have made several attempts to claim this funds in the past but all to prove abortive and some commercial banks have intentionally delayed your funds just to realize profits for their respective banks.

It might interest you to know that we have concluded all arrangements on the release of the funds hence we didn't hear from you from our last email. The funds have been successfully arranged in 2 consignment boxes and ready for delivery. Note that we have arranged the delivery with our Special Diplomatic Personnel whom will bring the boxes loaded with your funds to your house without any hindrance. Please note once again that the U.S Treasury Dept. Special Delivery Personnel will deliver your funds being packaged in 2 consignment boxes to you at your destination.

To avoid further delay, you are to immediately contact the Delivery Personnel ( Richard Mewborn) on his email( richymewborn@fromru.com ) as he has been expecting to hear from you so that we can proceed with the delivery of your funds as soon as possible.

Let me know as soon as you contact him for further follow up.

Regards,
Mary John Miller
Head of Treasury.
U.S Treasury Department
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20220.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam