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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:

• 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.)
• 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.
  • barrsteven_williams001@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "steven williams" <barrsteven_w24@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: barrsteven_williams001@yahoo.com
Date: Sun, 08 Apr 2007 18:06:39 +0100
Subject: FROM BARRISTER STEVEN WILLIAMS.

FROM BARRISTER STEVEN WILLIAMS.
ADDRESS:#47 Lillie Road,
Earl's Court SW6 1UD,
LONDON UNITED KINGDOM.

Attn:

I am Barr Steven Williams Personal attorney to Mr. David Sterling, an
expartriate contractor formerly with my country's National Oil Company
(NOC).In the month of April, 2004 my client, Mr. David Sterling, died in a
fatal automobile accident. Ever since, I have made several frantic and
extensive enquiries to locate any of my late client's relatives which, to
this time has provedunsuccessful.

After these unfruitful attempts,however, I decided to trace his relatives
via the internet. This, of course, explains this correspondence to you.I
contacted you to assist in repartriating the money left behind by my
deceased client before it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable as
repeatedly threatened by the bank where this fairly huge deposit was lodged.

Recently, the bank issued me a notice to provide the next-of-kin or have the
account confiscated. Since I have been unsuccesful in locating the relatives
for over 3 years of endless effort, I seek your consent to present you as
the next-of-kin of the deceased, so that the proceeds of this account
($25.5M) can be remitted to your nominated account for you and me.I will be
providing all necessary legal documents that will be used to back up your
inheritance claims and secure approvals.

All I require is your honest cooperation to see the deal through. I
guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate atmosphere that will
protect you from any breach of the law.
THIS IS MY PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS:barrsteven_williams001@yahoo.com

Yours Faithfully,
Barr Steven Williams

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam