419 scam: "STEVE HASSAN" <barrhassan@officer.com> FROM STEVE

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "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.

Fraud email example:

From: "STEVE HASSAN" <barrhassan@officer.com>
Reply-To: <stevemailbox@sify.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 02:20:50 +0100
Subject: FROM STEVE - RESPOND URGENTLY

DEAR FRIEND,

I AM BARRISTER STEVE M.HASSAN, LEGAL ADVISER TO LATE MR. JAMES H. BROWNEY.

WITH DUE REGARDS TO YOU, I AM CONTACTING YOU BASED ON AN OBLIGATION WHICH I HAVE TO FULFIL ON BEHALF OF MY LATE CLIENT MR.JAMES H. BROWNEY (AN AMERICAN WHO WAS WORKING WITH CHEVRON NIGERIA LIMITED, AN AMERICAN CRUDE OIL GIANTS BASED HERE IN NIGERA) AND DIED IN AN AUTO CRASH IN 2003 WHILE ON VACATION IN HAWAII.

BEFORE HIS DEATH, MR.JAMES H. BROWNEY WAS A PETRO-CHEMICAL ENGINEER WORKING WITH CHEVRON NIGERIA LIMITED, AN AMERICAN CRUDE OIL COMPANY OPERATING IN NIGERIA,HAD A DEPOSIT ACCOUNT WITH THE STANDARD SECURITY FINANCE COMPANY LTD. HERE IN NIGERIA WHERE HE DEPOSITED THE SUM OF US$5.2M (FIVE MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATED DOLLARS) IN HIS PERSONAL DEPOSIT ACCOUNT.HE REALISED THIS AMOUNT FROM CONTRACTS WHICH HE UNDERTOOK FOR CHEVRON OIL COMPANY LIMITED IN THE NIGER DELTA OIL FIELDS IN NIGERIA. THIS FUND HAS BEEN IN LATE MR. JAMES BROWNEY'S DEPOSIT ACCOUNT SINCE 2003 CAND THE FINANCE COMPANY OS TREATNENING TO FREEZE AND CONFISCATE THE FUND IF I FAIL TO PRESENT A NEXT OF KIN/HEIR TO CLAIM THE FUND.

TO THIS EFFECT, IT IS MY SINGULAR HONOUR AS HIS PERSONAL LEGAL ADVISER/ATTORNEY TO CONTACT YOU BASED ON THE ABOVE ISSUE TO ENABLE ME PRESENT YOU TO THE FINANCE COMPANY AS HIS NEXT OF KIN TO ENABLE US CLAIM THE FUNDS IN HIS DEPOSIT ACCOUNT WITH STANDARD SECURITY COMPANY LIMITED.

AS HIS PERSONAL LAWYER BEFORE HIS UNTIMELY DEATH, I HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY DETAILS AND INFORMATIONS REQUIRED OF HIM THAT WILL ENABLE US CLAIM THE FUND SUCCESSFULLY.

ALL I NEED FROM YOU IS YOUR TOTAL COPERATION AND YOUR FULL ASSURANCE TO ENABLE US WORK TOGETHER AND PROCESS THE CLAIM OF THE FUND IN YOUR PERSONAL NAME AS HIS NEXT OF KIN ENTITLED TO CLAIM AND RECEIVE THE FUND.IF ONLY YOU WILL GIVE ME YOUR FULL ASSURANCE,I WILL BE VERY GLAD TO PRESENT YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO ENABLE US CLAIM THE FUND SUCCESSFULLY.

DO NOT DELAY TO CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY OR YOU MAY CALL ME DIRECTLY ON; +234-1-760-4351

REGARDS,

BARRISTER STEVE HASSAN,

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam