419 scam: "Barrister Ben Williams"<benwilliams889@live.co.uk> URGENT REPLY NEEDED.

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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:
- "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.)
- "ben.williams889@live.co.uk" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "Barrister Ben Williams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ben.williams889@live.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:51:00 -0000
Subject: URGENT REPLY NEEDED.

Good Day,

Please permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with you. I got your contact from a computerize data following my effort searching for a trustworthy person to assist me. I am Barrister Ben Williams, an attorney at law. A deceased client of mine, that shares the same last name as yours, died as the result of a heart-related condition. His heart condition was due to the death of all the members of his family in the sunamidisaster on the 26th December 2004.

I contacted you to assist me in recovering the Fund valued at Twenty Five Million Dollars (US$25 Million Dollars), which my client deposited in a bank before his untimely demise. Right now the Bank where these funds are been deposited has contacted me to provide a next of kin to my client whom this funds can be paid to his/her account and am yet to provide one so I contacted you to know if I can present you to the bank for the transfer to be made in your name since you have the same last name with my client, then you and I will share 40% for you and 50% for me and 10% for every expenses that might come in.

Thanks for your good understanding; while I will be looking forward to hear back from you. I can be reached on this E-mail. ben.williams889@live.co.uk

Best regards,
Barrister Ben Williams
Attorney at Law

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam