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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "my direct telephone number" (i.e. "call me on my cellphone at the Internet cafe where we scammers hang out")
  • "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.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348034914754 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • j2d522@hotmail.com
  • j2d522@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. James Okoh" <w2j522@msn.com>
Reply-To: j2d522@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 04 Oct 2005 11:19:34 +0000
Subject: URGENT REPLY.

NJABA CHAMBERS AND ASSOCIATE
FROM THE DESK OF
BARRISTER JAMES DONN OKOH
EMAIL: j2d522@hotmail.com
Tel: 234-803-4914754

Dear Sir,

I am Barrister James Donn Okoh., a solicitor at law. I am the personal
attorney to Mr. Pitt Holman, a national of your country, who used to
work with a Steel Company here. Here in after shall be referred to as my
client.

On the 21st of April 2002, my client, his wife and their only daughter
were involved in a car accident along sagbama express road.

All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost there lives. Since then
I have made several enquiries to your embassy here to locate any of my
clients extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these
several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track his last name over the
Internet, to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.

I have contacted you to assist in repartrating the fund valued at US$13
million Left behind by my client before it gets Confisicated or
declared unserviceable by the Security Finance Firm where this huge amount
were
deposited. The said Security Finance company has issued me a notice to
provide the next of kin or have the account confisicated within the
next fourteen official working days.

For the fact that I have been unsuccesfull in locating the relatives
for over 3 years now, I seek the consent to present you as the next of kin
to the deceased,since you have the same last name with my client, so that
the proceeds of this account can be paid to you. Therefore, on receipt of
your positive response, we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and
modalities for transfer.

I have all necessary information and legal documents needed to back you
up for claim. All I require from you is your honest cooperation to enable
us see this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed
under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the
law.

Please get in touch with me through this email (j2d522@hotmail.com or
through my direct telephone number Tel: 234-803-4914754 as for more details.

Best regards,

BARRISTER JAMES DONN OKOH

NJABA CHAMBERS AND PARTNERS
BARRISTER JAMES DONN OKOH

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam