419 scam: "Mr Michael Williams" <katohiro@m2.cty-net.ne.jp> my dear friend

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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.
- mw5721442@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Michael Williams" <katohiro@m2.cty-net.ne.jp>
Reply-To: <mw5721442@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2023 22:32:06 +0900
Subject: my dear friend

My friend

My name is Michael Williams. I am a newly promoted branch manager of a
bank here in Ghana, West Africa. I came across your information while
searching the internet.

You may want to know that I am a pacifist and do not want trouble. I
hope we can help each other. If you don't want this business offer,
forget it and we won't contact you again.

As a bank manager, I arranged financial transactions that benefit both
of us. At the end of each year, it is my duty to send financial
statements to my headquarters in Accra, the capital.

In the course of my final report for the end of 2022, I discovered that
my branch, which I manage, had an excess profit of [USD 18.5 million]. I
have since put the funds into another account.

As a bank employee, I cannot directly relate to this money.

I will give you his 40% of the total funds, but until I join your
country and share/invest some of my own funds, you will not be able to
use your bank account for me. to hold his 60%. Thank you very much.

As soon as we receive your reply to this address (mw5721442@gmail.com),
we will give you details on how to make it successful.

at your disposal,
Mr Michael Williams

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam