419 scam: "Barrister Okon Peters & Associates"<peterokon777@hotmail.co.uk> Please, Can you handle this?

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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "Barrister Okon Peters & Associates" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <okon_peters@live.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2010 23:09:53 +0100
Subject: Please, Can you handle this?

Barrister Okon Peters & Associates
Notary Public,
25 Johnson Brown Way
Victoria Island
Lagos.
Nigeria.

Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Okon Peters, a lawyer and based in Nigeria. I am the legal adviser to a Lebanese industrialist a business mogul who is resident in Nigeria. My client who is called Mr Vaswani Henry is currently in the Hospital been diagnosed on a terminal sickness that might take his life. He has asked to donate his life savings amounting to USD$15.500.000.00 to charity. This funds is now available at the Central Bank of Nigeria waiting to be wired to any bank account that will be nominated by me.

As a Nigerian and a lawyer to the sickman, I cannot approve the said amount to myself as the Nigerian Government will not agree to that hence I am soliciting your assistance to receive the above sum on my behalf if you will be interested. The funds will be shared as follows, 30% of the funds goes to me his lawyer for all my legal services rendered to him,30% goes to you who will assist me in receiving this funds, while 40% will be given to charity. I have proof of his sickness if you require same for your consumption.

If this is acceptable to you, please revert back to so that we can set the ball rolling. The entire business will be completed within seven working days upon the receipt of your consent to this offer.

Please treat business with the up most confidentiality.

Best of My personal regards

Barr. Okon Peters.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam