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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "cotonou" (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.
• 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.
  • barister_ballawa3@yahoo.com.mx (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: barrister ballawa <barr_ballawa@yahoo.com.mx>
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 02:32:33 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Ballawa&Associates


Ballawa&Associates
Carre 32 Akpakpa Cotonou Republic of Benin.
Tel:229 -9701-7317
Email barister_ballawa3@yahoo.com.mx
Dear friend,
I apologize to you for any inconveniences caused if this mail does not
meet your demands, though I do not intend to embarrass you by the
contents of this very mail. But please the most appreciating part of your
interest on this request is, kindly keep it top secret, for security
reasons.
Not for any thing, but to avoid people threatening us after we claim
the fund out from the bank.

Therefore I title this proposal to be utmost confidential.

I am Barrister Mozarck Ballawa. I was the personal Attorney to Late Mr.
David Van Buskirk who was a
citizen of your Country but lived and did his business here in Cotonou
with his family and he was the CEO of Suh Properties before his sudden
death along with his family on friday December 26th 2003 in Benin plane
crash. You can view this web site for more clarifications.
www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html
Before his sudden death, he made a fixed Deposit valued at
USD5.4million (five Million four hundred
thousand United States Dollars Only) here in Cotonou with a Bank as a
fixed asset.
Unfortunately, he lost his life on board in Boeing 727, which crashed
into the Atlantic Ocean on Friday December 26th 2003,He left no clear
beneficiary as Next of Kin. I have searched for the relatives for more
than two years without any success and after 3 years, if no claims are
made by any of the deceased relative, the money will be sent to unclaimed
accounts and will be embezzled by the bank or government officials.
It is mandatory that i provide the relation of my late client to the
bank, as the bank has contacted me as their late customers Attorney to
present to them the late Client's next of kin so that the deposit can be
paid to him or her. Also be informed that the sharing ratio will be
60-40, that is 60% for me and 40% for you.
This mail is written to solicit your acceptance for you to be
presented as the relation of my Late Client, for them to release the fund to
you, while i come over to meet with you for my own share, and for
investment plans. if we can trust each other.
As it stands now, Anybody I present to the bank as the next of kin to
late Mr.David Van Buskirk, will be accepted by his Bank, therefore I
wish to present you to the Bank as the rightful beneficiary to my late
Client's assets, if I can get an assurance from you, that you will not
cheat me after the fund is credited in your bank account.
Upon your acceptance, I shall give you other details for the successful
claim of the fund, I will also secure from the probate registry, a
latter of administration, which you will use in contacting the bank for
them to approve the release of the assets to you. we shall discuss on
the sharing terms after the fund has been transferred to your bank
account.
Therefore I am assuring you that this claim is 100% risk free, as i
will get all the legal document here that will backup our claims even to
your country's law enforcement agency's to clear the legitimacy of the
fund after the transfer.
please update me on your own option urgently, to enable us proceed with
out any further delay, as time is already running out.
Thank you very much for your anticipated cooperation and please
remember the utmost confidentiality that this transaction requires, while I
expect your prompt response.
Yours faithfully,
Barr Mozarck Ballawa Esq.



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam