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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
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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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.)
• 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.
  • barr_mikekanu@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: project993474@zipmail.com.br
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 11:46:47 -0700
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?TREAT=20VERY=20URGENT=2E?=

Your Attn:

I am Barrister. Mike kanu (ESQ) . I have a client, a foreigner who used
to work with Mekon Associates Company in London. On the 2nd of August
2004,
my client and his wife and their three children were involved in a car
accident
along Manchester Express Road. All occupants of the vehicle
unfortunately
lost their lives.Since then I have made several enquiries to your
Embassy
to locate any of my client's 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 of no
avail,hence
I contacted you.I have contacted you to assist me in repatriating the
money
left behind by my client before it gets confiscated or declared
unserviceable
by the inance House where these huge deposits were lodged.
Particularly,
he Finance House where the deceased had an account valued at about
US$6.05M
has issued me a notice to provide the next-of-kin or have the account
confiscated
within the next ten official working days.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over
nine(9)months
now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to the
deceased
so that the proceeds of this account valued at US$6.05M can be
paid
to you and then you and I can share the money; 60% to me and 40% to
you.
We shall procure all necessary legal documents that can be used to back
up any claim we shall make, all I require is your honest co-operation
to
enable us see this transaction through.

I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement
that
will protect you from any breach of the law, Since we can get all
necessary
legal documents in your name as the next of kin to my late client.
Anticipating your prompt response via my private email:barr_mikekanu@yahoo.com

Yours Sincerely,

BARR. MIKE KANU (ESQ).




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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam