419 scam: PAUL WILLIAMS <paulwilliamsoffice2016@gmail.com> STRICTLY CONFIDENCIAL AND PERSONAL

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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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million united states 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)
- "you will be given 30%" (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.
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.
- williamspaul725@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: PAUL WILLIAMS <paulwilliamsoffice2016@gmail.com>
Reply-To: williamspaul725@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2017 17:17:47 +0100
Subject: STRICTLY CONFIDENCIAL AND PERSONAL

FROM THE DESK OF PAUL.C. WILLIAMS.
AUDITOR ECOBANK WEST AFRICAN PLC.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I got your contact through an international business magazine on my digging
for help.we want to transfer to overseas ($15,000.000.00 USD) Fifteen
million united states dollars from a Bank in Africa, I want to ask you to
quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit
to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new Bank a/c
immediately to receive this money, even an empty a/c can serve to receive
this money, as long as you will remain honest to me till the end of this
important business trusting in you and believing in God that you will never
let me down either now or in future.

I am Paul Williams, the Auditor of ECOBANK LIMITED, during the course of
our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank
in 1990 and since 1993 nobody has operated on this account again, after
going
through some old files and records I discovered that the owner of the
account died without a [heir]. If I do not remit this money out urgently it
will be forfeited for nothing.The owner of this account is Mr.Arthur
Coleman, the
Managing Director COLEMAN PTY. SA.a foreigner, and an Industrialist, who
died since 1993 and no other person knows about this account or anything
concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary.

Send to me your private telephone numbers including the full details of the
account to be used for the deposit for safe keeping pending our arrival in
your country for sharing.I also need your strong assurance that you will
never,ever let me down. With your assurance that this money will be intact
pending our arrival in your country for sharing.

At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 30% of the total
amount,65% will be for me and my colleagues,while 5% will be for expenses
both parties might have incurred during the process of transferring.

I look forward to your earliest reply.
E-mail(williamspaul725@yahoo.com)private.
Yours,
Paul Williams.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam