419 scam: "AMENYI & ASSOCIATES"<Bstnbrth2@aol.com> Warn Greetings!

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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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 send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "amenyilaurentdept@live.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- "amenyilaurentdept@live.com" (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: "AMENYI & ASSOCIATES" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <amenyilaurentdept@live.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2010 05:50:17 -0500
Subject: Warn Greetings!

AMENYI & ASSOCIATES
FROM THE DESK OF BARRISTER AMENYI LAURENT,
100, Rue Boulevard Gnasingbe
Togo, Lome
Fax: 00 22 822 09283

Email: amenyilaurentdept@live.com

Good Day,

I am Barrister Amenyi Laurent, a Solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney to Mr. Dennis, nationality of your country. He was a seasoned specialist Contractor with Shell Petroleum Company in Togo-Lome, who unfortunately died in the plane crash of Union Transport Africans Flight Boeing 727 in Cotonou, Benin Republic on December 26, 2003.

You will read more stories about the crash on visiting this: website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3348109.stm

Before his death on the 26th December 2003, he has a fixed Deposit account with one of the biggest commercial bank here in Togo. No other person knows about this account or anything concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me that his supposed next of kin died along with him in the crash. Since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of my clients Extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful.

After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track his last name over the Internet, to locate any member of his family, hence I contacted you, and I know you don’t know him or bear the same name with him, but with your last name we can workout this project successfully if you are interested in this transaction. We can work hand in hand to backup the claims. We can get this money before it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank.

Consequently, Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 7 years now. I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at US$20.522 million will be paid to you and then the both of us can share the money. I will obtain all the necessary legal documents on your behalf as the next of kin to the late deceased that can be used to back up any Claim we are making. All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us seal this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the Law and am assuring you that it is 100% risk free transaction.

If this proposal is acceptable by you, do send your reply on my above

EMAIL: amenyilaurentdept@live.com OR FAX: 00 22 822 09283

Best Regards
Bar. Amenyi Laurent.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam