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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• 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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "tony awele" <barristertonyawele1@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: barristertonyawele1@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 03 Oct 2005 09:10:26 +0000
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF BARRISTER TONYAWELE & ASSOCIATES

FROM THE DESK OF BARRISTER TONYAWELE & ASSOCIATES
44, KOFO ABAYOMI AVENUE,
VICTORIA ISLAND,
LAGOS - NIGERIA.
Dear sir/Madam,

I am Barrister Tony Awele, a Solicitor. I am the Personal Attorney
to Mr.Steve Camille, who used to work with Chevron Oil Development Company
in Nigeria.
On the 21st of April, 2002, his wife and their three children were involved
in a car accident along Abuja Express Road. Unfortunately, they all lost
their lives in the event of the accident.

Since then I have made several enquiries to your Embassy to locate any of my
client relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several
unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet to
locate any member of his family but to no avail,hence, I contacted you to
assist in repatriating the money left behind by my client in a Security
Company. Particularly, the Security Company where the deceased deposited the
US$15 Million (Fifteen Million United States Dollars only). Consequently,
this Security Company issued me a notice to provide the Next of Kin to claim
the US$15 Million (Fifteen Million United States Dollars only) in their
custody .

I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 2 years now, I
seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased to claim
the fund as the Next of Kin to him so that the fund will be transferred to
your account by the Security Company.

Upon receipt of the fund, I will come over to your country to meet with you
for the disbursement of the fund and then you and I will share the money in
this order: 55% will be for me, 40% will be for you, while 5% will be used
on expenses incurred. I have all the necessary legal documents that can back
our claim we may make with the Security Company.

All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal
through.
I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that
will protect you from All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us
see this deal through.
Please, get in touch with me via email to enable me clarify you further.

Best regards.
Barrister Tony Awele (Esq)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam