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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
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "necessary legal documents" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "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)
  • "million 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)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "chambers" (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.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2347039144667
• 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.
  • barrhamzamalik@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • 3abarrhamzamalik@gmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "HAMZA MALIK ESQ" <barrhamzamalik2004@gmail.com>
Reply-To: barrhamzamalik@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:54:41 +0000
Subject: Reply Urgently ( I am waiting)


HAMZA MALIK & COMPANY
(LAW CRONICLES CHAMBERS) ATTORNEY'S AT LAW
16, PARK VIEW ESTATE IKOYI V/ISLAND LAGOS-NIGERIA.
TEL: +234-703-914-4667
EMAIL:barrhamzamalik@gmail.com <EMAIL%3Abarrhamzamalik@gmail.com>
HAMZA MALIK ESQ.L.L.B HONS, B.L. (Principal partner)

Dear Sir/Madam,

This mail is not intended to cause any embarrassment in whatever form to you
but I must solicit your confidentiality, I know a proposal of this magnitude
will make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that it is
sent in good faith and will be of mutual benefit to both parties.

I am Barrister.Hamza Malik the Personal Attorney to Late Mr. Alan Harwood,
an American Citizen, who worked with African Petroleum Company in Nigeria.
On December 26th 2003 Mr.Alan Harwood,his wife and their three children
aboard the, Boeing 727 Beirut-bound charter Jet which crashed on takeoff ,
see the below link to read more news about aircrash:
www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/

Since then I have made several inquires to your embassy to locate any of my
clients extended relatives, this also prove unsuccessful and these several
unsuccessful attempts to locate any member of his family hence I contacted
you.

I am contacting you to assist me to repatriate the money and property left
behind by Mr.Alan Harwood before they get confiscated in the bank treasury
or declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge deposit were lodged.
Particularly, the Bank where the deceased had an account valued at about
US$15.3 Million dollars has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or
have the account confiscated within the next fourteen official working days.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 3 years
now I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased
since you have the same last name as that of my late client so that the
proceeds of this account valued at US$15.3Million dollars can be paid to you
and then you and me can share the money. I am ready to get all necessary
legal documents approved in your name as the next of kin to my late client,
from the respective offices concerned, so that the bank where the fund is
deposited can be given instruction to transfer the funds into your bank
account that you will provide (as the next of kin).

All I require is your honest cooperation 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. I am willing
to give you a reasonable percentage (20%) of this money at the conclusion of
the transaction, and (5%) will be for any expense that may incur in the
transaction on both parties, while (75%) will be for me. Kindly furnish me
with your contact TELEPHONE and FAX numbers in your response.

I will be looking forward to doing business with you and I do solicit your
Confidentiality in this transaction.

I await your reply on your participation or not, so that I can contact
another person. Time is of great essence to us.

Best regards,

Barr. Hamza Malik Esq.
PP LAW CRONICLES & CO.

NB: You don't have to be a blood relative of my client to claim this
inheritance.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam