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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: PHILIPS <abel2467@freenet.de>
Reply-To: abelg099@freenet.de
Date: Sat, 20 May 2006 13:55:20 +0800
Subject: Can You Help?


FROM THE DESK OF BARRISTER PHILIPS ABEL MBA (SAN)
MBA CHAMBERS ESQ & ASSOCIATES.
112 RIBADU ROAD IKOYI, LAGOS,
NIGERIA

Re: REGARDING: Her Excellency Mrs. Stella Obasanjo.
I crave your indulgence for the unsolicited nature of
this letter, but it was borne out of desperation and
current development. Please bear with me. I am
Barrister Philips Mba a solicitor at law. I was
the Personal attorney to Her Excellency Mrs Stella
Obasanjo, wife of the president of the federal
republic of Nigeria His Excellency President Olusegun
Obasanjo, Herein after shall be referred to as my
client.

On theSunday, October 23, 2005 , my client Her
Excellency Mrs Stella Obasanjo had traveled to Spain
to undergo surgery and died from complications
resulting from that surgery. I have contacted you to
assist in repatriating the money she deposited with a
finance security company with no name of
beneficairy,hoping she will use the money abroad and
register it with the name of her biological family. I
am the only person who knows about this as her
personal lawyer.

Nobody knows that she is the real owner of the
fund,because i helped her to register the fund with
another name (Angela Smith) as the owner of the fund,
so as to prevent the federal ministry of finance from
probing the fund. I seek your consent, to present you
as the beneficiary, so that the proceeds of this
account valued at USD$25 million dollars can be paid
to you and then you and i can share the money, 60%
shall be for me and 40% for you. I would get all
necessarylegal documents that would be needed and
used to back up this claim we may make. 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
any breach of law.

I have all documents backing the fund.This deal is
strictly confidential.For further clearification about
her death, see the site below.
www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/10/23/obasanjo.obituary


Moreso! Do not fail to send me your telephone
number with which I would be able to call you, so that
we can discuss extensively one-on-one as regards this
deal.

I look forward to your urgent response.

Best regards,

Barrister Philips Abel Mba.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam