419 scam: "Barr. Shannon" <shannon19571724@att.net> URGENT RESPONSE REQUIRED

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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.
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.
- +447045730016 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "Barr. Shannon" <shannon19571724@att.net>
Reply-To: shannon.stovell@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2011 03:46:52 -0800 (PST)
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE REQUIRED

Compliment of day,

I am Mr. Shannon Alvin Stovell, Attorney to one of my client who is now late, a foreigner and an Engineer with a construction company here in UK. The decease has an account with a Bank here, which he opened in 2003.
He died in 2004 here in U.K, and I received a memo last year from the Bank remittance department for an interview about $18.5M USD that belongs to my client, the bank informed me on their policy to freeze the account of my client. I was asked to redirect the ($18.5m usd) back to government treasury because they saw no next of kin in his entire file within the bank, and his account has been dormant which is against policy of the Bank.
So, I am contacting you because of the need to involve a foreigner as the foreign beneficiary to the fund. I have resolved to share the money in this ratio.50% for me, 35% for you, 10% for the remittance manager in the bank who has agreed to guide us
for the success of our objectives, and 5% for expenses we might incur processing release and transfer of the funds to your account as the beneficiary/next of kin to my Client.
We can conclude this transaction within 7 banking days if you act fast, and remember to keep this between us.
I am waiting for your urgent call: +44 70 4573 0016
Regards,
Shannon Alvin Stovell Esq
..........................
Law Firm Ltd.
2nd Floor, Queens House
180 Tottenham Court Road
London W1T 7PD
Ph: +44 70 4573 0016
Fax: +44 70 0602 3695

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam