Scam Money Transfer Emails from "lawyers": Richard Johnson

Scam Money Transfer Emails:
Richard Johnson, who claims to be a Nigerian lawyer, wants you to impersonate a dead wealthy client, so you can both steal his estate.

Here is an email from a Richard Johnson, who claims to be a lawyer. He wrote to a woman in Canada who had been researching her ancestry on the internet. He probably obtained her email address from an ancestry website forum. He also had her family information from the ancestry website.  "Johnson" also sent her a picture of his ID card that claimed her is a lawyer. She emailed him back and had no response.

Now, he is asking her to claim to be the relative and heir to a fortune for a dead wealthy man.  Even if he is a lawyer and the fortune is real, that would be committing a felony, fraud.

But more probably, there is no dead wealthy person and more "Richard Johnson" is a fictitious name used by a Nigerian scammer. Also see this version of the Richard Johnson scam.

For clues, see his email below and look at the highlighted passages, which do not match his story. [Our comments are in brackets and in red]. An educated lawyer wouldn't use such poor grammar, poor punctuation, spelling errors.  The "story"; the money comes from a dead person and you share the same last name is an old Nigerian scam.

Also see these pages:

Richard Johnson - rj4719964@yahoo.es [a free Spanish Yahoo account?  Richard Johnson hardly sounds like a Spanish name]

Dear Crystal,

I believe that there is a very high rate of corruption not just out here, but also in your country and across the globe as a whole, which has eaten deep and taken over most important human values. I'm not inclined to accept that as nature.

I also admit that Yes! Hoaxes do exist in the real sense, but always put into consideration of the fact that fraudulent activities sometimes come out of real and genuine situations. It actually takes an individual who reasons beyond the ordinary to see through the notion that opportunity coming from a particular part of the globe can't be achieved.

I decided to place a search on the internet and I concentrated my search in your country. However, in the course of my search, that I came across your contact information, and out of my own free will I decided to contact you in confidence and with the hope that you will be in a position to assist me with this claims, knowing that you bear the same family name with my late client.

Like I said earlier, it doesnt really matter whether you bear the same family name or not. What matters most here is your willingness to work with me based on certain realities exposed to you, and my ability to present you as a next of kin to my late client.[fraud - a felony]

This is my position and my word will never change in the course of my relating with you. If you wish, I can also send you a picture copy of my late client and his family, as well as my own family picture. I beleive [apparently, this lawyer doesn't have a spell-checker] with this, you'll be in a more comfortable position to relate better with me.

Thanks for your time.

Richard.

LLama Gratis a cualquier PC del Mundo.

Llamadas a fijos y m�viles desde 1 c�ntimo por minuto. http://es.voice.yahoo.com

RE: LETTER OF INTRODUCTION

To: The Head Corporate Banking.
Stanbic Bank Plc.
Stanbic House
Plot 688 Amodu Tijani Close, of Sanusi Fafunwa Street
Victoria Island, Lagos
Nigeria.[Most scammers are from Nigeria]

www.stanbic.com.ng [This proves nothing. He could put www.cnn.com and that doesn't prove he works for them either!]

Attn: Mr. R.O Juwah

CLAIM ON DEPOSIT # SBPLC/NIG/-118/WB-NL-2003

Sir,

We wish to inform you through this letter that  Crystal Doe of CANADA is appointed beneficiary to Engineer James Earl Doe (late), hereafter referred to as the Next-of-kin.

In accordance with the "INHERITANCE ACT" 1976 SECTION 116, SUB SECTION 266, [have you seen this law? If you haven't and you aren't a lawyer, what does this prove?  Nothing!]as amended and with the powers conferred on us as financial consultant/Representative to Engineer James Earl Doe (late), we hereby introduce and endorse Crystal Doe as the lawful beneficiary and to receive in her custody by Bank transfer or any other legitimate means whatsoever, the sum of USD$4.5Million (Four Million, five hundred thousand United States Dollars only).

Her full names and contact particulars are stated below for your contact and immediate confirmations.

Name: Crystal Doe

Address: 123 ABC Road, BC Canada V2J 6L1

Phone: +1- 250-123-4567

Fax: Nil

Email: Cdoe@hotmail.com

By this letter of introduction, Crystal Doe (Next-of-kin) is to be accorded full legal rights and privileges regarding her lawful claims as she have been duly recognized by our esteemed establishment to that effect.

It is our desired anticipation that our request be accorded immediate attention.

Yours Faithfully,

Mr. Richard Johnson

HEAD, PRINCIPAL PARTNER

RICHARD JONHSON CONSULTS. [What?  He can't spell his own name correctly? Pretty sloppy]

Don't be an idiot.  Do not reply to scam emails like the one above!

And please let us know about any suspicious calls or emails you receive.  We look for patterns so that we can alert the authorities and victims to new scams, before it is too late!

 

 

 

For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.