419 scam: "Mr Brown"<smithmrs403@gmail.com> From Mr Brown

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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.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
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.
- smithmrs403@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Brown" (may be fake)
Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2023 11:25:43 -0700
Subject: From Mr Brown

Dear Friend,

I know this will come to you as a surprise because you do not know
me \I am Mr. Brown I work in the central bank of Nigeria packaging and
courier department. I got your contact in my search for an honest
person through one of my colleagues here in the central bank that said
that I could confide in you.

I want you to help me clear this package that is already in
London, which I shipped through our Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
accredited courier agent but the contents of the package is Ten
Million United States Dollars Only ($10,000,000.00) all in $100.00
bills, but the courier company does not know that it is money that I
have in the package.

All I want you to do for me now is this give me your mailing address
your private phone and fax and I hope that at the end of the day, you
will have 30% for your investment in clearance role once package gets into your country
and 70% will be for me. My identity must not be revealed
to anybody.

If this arrangement is ok by you, you can contact me through this
E-mail address (smithmrs403@gmail.com) for security reasons other
modalities will be discussed as soon as you get back to me including
sending of the keys to the boxes to you.

Yours faithfully,
Mr Brown
Courier Department

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam