419 scam: "AL.WERNER"<awersn@comcast.net> The Facts and Reasons

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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.
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.
- awernermailbox@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "AL.WERNER" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <awerner.email@mail.ru>
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2015 14:55:59 -0400
Subject: The Facts and Reasons

Re:

I am A Werner (Director Western Hemisphere, Forensic Accounting Auditor at World Bank and IFC). I and my Accounting Audit Team was appointed to audit the financial books and records of various banks and financial institutions including Chase Bank, HSBC Bank, Bank of America, Royal Bank of Canada, The Nederlandsche Bank, Barclays Bank and 291 other banks and financial institutions Worldwide and also Corporations including Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, Total, Elf, Texaco, NNPC, Coca Cola, Pepsi and 185 other Corporations Worldwide (Asia, America, Europe and Africa) from 2002 to 2015 to ascertain the reason or reasons why numerous amount of funds have remained unclaimed and unpaid nor released to various respective beneficiaries. In the course of our forensic accounting audit investigation of these banks and companies, I came across an unpaid fund that I will like to discuss with you. This is very important.
The fund has been approved and ready for payment. You need to Contact me urgently ASAP for more details about this payment.

Reply To: awernermailbox@gmail.com

Regards,

A Werner

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam