419 scam: "FRANK OKOH" <frankokoh54@yahoo.com.hk> Read

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (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. )
- "million united states 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)
- "% will be for you" (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.)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- okohfrank7063@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "FRANK OKOH" <frankokoh54@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:54:49 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Read

Okoh Frank & Associates
Attorney At Law, Property
Consultant & Solicitor To
The Supreme Court Of Nigeria
Plot 228 Kudirat Abiola Way,
Oregun,Lagos-Nigeria.

Dear Friend,

Kindly accept my apology for sending unsolicited mail to you. I
believe you
are a highly respected personality, considering the fact that I
sourced your
profile from a human resource profile database on your country.
Though, I do
not know to what extent you are familiar with events.

Well, I am Barrister Okoh Frank, a Solicitor. I am the Personal
Attorney to
Mr. Steve A. who used to work with Agip Oil Company in Nigeria. On the
21st
of october 1999, his wife and their three children were involved in a
plain crash.
For more information about the crash, you can visit the link below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm

Unfortunately, they all lost their lives in the event of the crash. Since
then I have made several enquiries to your Embassy to locate any of my
client's relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these
several
unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the
Internet to
locate any member of his family but to no avail, hence, I contacted
you to
assist in repatriating the money left behind by my client in a Bank.

Particularly, the Finance House where the deceased deposited the US$15
Million (Fifteen Million United States Dollars only) knows me very
well and
has ask me to present some one to claim the fund left my late client
as they
all know I am his attorney.

Consequently, this Bank issued me a notice to provide the Next of Kin to
claim the US$15 Million (Fifteen Million United States Dollars only) in
their custody within the next ten official working days. Since I have
been
unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 5 years now, I seek your
consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased to claim the
fund
as the Next of Kin to him so that the Bank will transfer the fund to your
account.

Upon receipt of the fund, I will come over to your country to meet
with you
for the disbursement of the fund and then you and I will share the
money in
this order: 70% will be for me, 30% will be for you. I have all the
necessary legal documents that can back our claim we may make with the
Bank.

All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us seeing this deal
through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Send me the following information

1.NAME IN FULL :...
2.ADDRESS :......................
3.NATIONALITY :..
4.AGE :............
5.Sex .................
6.OCCUPATION :.....
7.MARITAL STATUS :....
8.PRIVATE PHONE NO .....
9.PRIVATE FAX NO :...........

Finally you can contact me at my private email
address-----okohfrank7063@yahoo.com.hk

Best regards.
Okoh Frank
Principal Attorney.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam