419 scam: "Jemes A. Butterfill"<jamesbutterfills@gmail.com> From James A.Butterfil

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:

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:
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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 next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Jemes A. Butterfill" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jamesbutterfill1@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2016 23:38:48 +0100
Subject: From James A.Butterfil

Good Day

I do understand this letter will come to you as a surprise. I have reasons to believe that we can work on a mutually beneficial project, that has been carefully thought out.

I am a certified public accountant/Financial Planner, and work in a partnership. I have been doing a lot of thinking in the last few years and has decided to take a step that will be a mutually beneficial one
to both of us.

I happen to have a client who passed (died) some years ago and left a sizeable amount of money, in excess of four million Dollars, with no last will and testament , and no next of kin, and I have all confidence I can put you up successfully as next of kin. A carefull research has not been able to turn up a nest of kin, or living relative.

The funds are held in trust in a bank of which my firm has absolute and full control over. I am in a position to put up relevant legal documentation to put you up as a next of kin, if you are willing ,with the result that the funds in question plus accrued interest will be paid out to you for our mutaul benefit

I need you to please not see this as a devious scheme. On one accasion, we have had to send funds back to the treasury in same circumsatnce and I do not want to do so again. The funds will revert to government in 3 months from now, if unclaimed, hence the reason for this contact, hoping we can work on this together. I am reluctant to provide details at this point for obvious reasons, but will upon getting your feedback, provide details. My promise is that this is a process that can be completed in a matter of 10 working days.

I ask for privacy and confidentiality. Your involvement will not, I guarantee bring you to any disrepute.
Regards
James A.Butterfil

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam