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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "huge deposit" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "barr." (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: "barrstevkalu" <barrstevkalu@terra.com.mx>
Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 10:21:32 -0600
Subject: Please get back to me


STEV CHAMBERS BARRISTER
STEV KALU (SAN)
LEGAL PRACTITIONER, SOLICITOR
&ADVOCATE LAGOS, NIGERIA.

DEAR FRIEND,

I am Barr.Stev Kalu (SAN) ( REV), personal attorney to Engineer Robert Tomia. a national of your country, who used to work with Osusu Construction Company Nig. ltd. here in Nigeria herein after, shall be referred to as my client. My client with his entire family (The wife and Two Children) were involved in the bomb explosion in Lagos, Nigeria, on January 27th, 2002 which, claim many lives and property. Unfortunately, my client and the family lost their lives in that disaster that needed not to have happened. Since

then I have made several enquiries to your embassy 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. My purpose of contacting you is to assist in repatriating the fund (Estate) left behind by my client prior to his death before they get confiscated or declared
unserviceable by the company where this huge deposit were lodged in, where the deceased had an account valued

at about US$10.4 million. The company had issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated within the next 14 official working days. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over one year, now I seek your consent as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last name/surname so that the proceeds of this account valued at US$10.4 million can be paid to you. I will provide all the necessary official and legal documents that can be used to back up

your claim. All I require is your honest co-operation to enable me as the legal attorney to the deceased in seeing that you receive your inheritance fund. I guarantee that this will be executed legitimately to protect you from any breach of the law. You can find informations about the January 27th, 2002 Bomb Explosion on the website below. Please get back to me through my email address for further discussion.
Best regards,
Barr.Stev Kalu (SAN)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam