419 scam: "Mr. Johnson Cole" <johnsoncol1@outlook.com> Good Day,

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:

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)
- "million pounds" (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)
- "chief auditor" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
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.
- johnsoncole@executivemail.co.za (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Johnson Cole" <johnsoncol1@outlook.com>
Reply-To: johnsoncole2015@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 2020 14:45:56 +0200
Subject: Good Day,

HSBC Bank plc - Johannesburg Branch
(Johannesburg Office South Africa)
Private Bag X 785434
Sandton, 2146
The chief auditor (H.S.B.C Bank South Africa).
=

=

Dear Sir/Madam,
=

I know, this letter will come to you as surprises as we never meet before.=
My name is Mr. Johnson Cole, the director in charge of Chief Auditing and =
Accounting Unit of HSBC BANK South Africa I and my colleagues, hoped that =
you will not expose or betray this trust and confidant that am about to in=
troduce to you for the mutual benefit of our both families. I am writing =
in respect of Mr. Hashim Abdullahi of a foreign customer of our Bank who pe=
rished long with his next of kin with Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, flight=
number 801with the whole passengers on 10th of March 2019, Open and view t=
he website: https://www.google.com/url?sa=3Dt&rct=3Dj&q=3D&esrc=3Ds&source=
=3Dweb&cd=3D18&cad=3Drja&uact=3D8&ved=3D2ahUKEwjt-Yq9s8PiAhXkRxUIHXKKDV4QFj=
ARegQIARAB&url=3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FEthiopian_Airlines=
_Flight_302&usg=3DAOvVaw03ayFM7HD3yJ5gVNMcICqJ
=

Since the demise of this our customer, I personally has watched with Keen =
interest to see the next of kin but all has proved abortive as no one has c=
ome to claim his funds of =A320.000.000,00 (TWENTY MILLION POUNDS), which h=
as been with our branch for a very long time. On this note, I decided to se=
ek for whom his name shall be used as the Next of Kin since nobody is comin=
g for the fund again. In view of this I got your contact through the Intern=
et when I was making a research on a foreigner that I will use in this grea=
t opportunity because I don=2019t want the money to be recalled to our Bank=
treasury as unclaimed fund. I have also agreed to offer you 30% of the tot=
al sum and the rest 70% will be for me. The reason for a foreigner in the B=
usiness is for the fact that the deceased man was a foreigner and it is not=
authorized by the law guiding our Bank for a work's or board members of th=
is bank to make the claim of the fund. So the Request of you as a foreigner=
is necessary to apply for the release and transfer of the fund smoothly in=
to your reliable Bank account as the Surving Relation to the deceased. If y=
ou are really sure of your integrity, trust worthy and confidentiality, and=
accept not to cheat or disappoint me after this business.
=

I will send you by fax or e-mail on the next procedure to follow in other =
to execute this transaction. I will not fail to bring to your notice that t=
his business is hitch free and don=2019t have any negative impact. You shou=
ld not entertain any fear as all modalities for the smooth and easy transfe=
r of this fund has been finalized, this transaction will be completed withi=
n 14-bank working Days immediately we start the business. Waiting for your =
urgent response and please kindly delete if you are not interested. Email m=
e with this Private mail :( johnsoncole@executivemail.co.za) =

=

Regards,
=

Mr. Johnson Cole

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam