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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)
  • "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 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.
  • barristerstephencollins@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "LEGAL MATTERS" <barristeronline@msn.com>
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 15:19:59 +0000
Subject: YOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED

STEPHEN COLLINS & CO CHAMBERS
SOLICITORS AND ADVOCATES ENGLAND

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Barrister Stephen Collins, a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney to late Mr. John Jennings, African Area Staff of British Petroleum Company (BPC) ,who unfortunately died in the crash of Kenya Airways Flight 431 in Abidjan,Ivory Coast, January 30 2000 with his entire family You will read more about the crash by visiting this website,news.airwisecom/airlines/archive/2000/kenya2000.html.
Since his death, I as his personal attorney, have made enquiries to locate his surviving relation, without any success. I came across your name and contact in course of my personal search for his relation.

 

I am contacting you to assist in repatriating and securing the wealth left behind in a fixed deposit account, before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Bank in England where my client operates an account worth $USD240,000.00Dollars. The board of Bank in England has issued me a notice that after 2 months from now if am unable to present a next of kin to claim the said funds, the funds will be confiscated and declared unserviceable.

 

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating his relatives for sometime now,it is on this note that I seek your consent to present you as the Next of Kin of my late client since you are a foreigner and bears the same last name so that the proceed of this deposit valued at $US450,000.00 Dollars can be released to you for our disbursment.

I will offer you 25% of the total sum,Upon successful remittance of funds into your bank account,5% has been set aside to defray all expenses incurred both local and international during the course of this transfer before sharing will commence in your Country,while 25% will be for me while I will use the balance of 45% to set up Orphanages and Motherless babies homes in honor of my late client and name same after him.

 

All that is required from you is your honest cooperation to enable us successful actualise this transaction in one sincere faith. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement which will protect you from any breach of law.. Note that I have all the necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make and also his last testament of WILL, which is still in my custody and which i will amend to make you eligible as his next of kin.Further details awaits your response via my email: barristerstephencollins@yahoo.co.uk

Do not hesitate to include your private phone and fax number in your return mail.

 

Yours faithfully,

Barrister Stephen Collins [ESQ]

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam