419 scam: "MR. BEN DAVID RICHARDSON." <lawyerbendavidrichardson1@gmail.com> RE: BENEFICIARY/INHERITOR.

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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.
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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "attorneys " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "offshore account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
This email message is a next of kin scam.
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.
- lawyerbendavidrichardson1@hotmail.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR. BEN DAVID RICHARDSON." <lawyerbendavidrichardson1@gmail.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: lawyerbendavidrichardson1@hotmail.co.uk
Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:00:27 +0530 (IST)
Subject: RE: BENEFICIARY/INHERITOR.

Lawyer Ben David Richardson:
Richardson Attorneys & Notaries:

Dear Friend,

Please permit me to introduce myself to you. I am Ben David Richardson
[Esq.], It is with Heavy Heart, I am reaching you regarding the death of
my late client, am the legal adviser, a Legal Practitioner in London,
United Kingdom. I got your contact from the British Council, and I have
decided to contact you so that we can carry out this mutually beneficial
business transaction. My late Client My late client Mr & Mrs. Armando
Barbara Pinto, until his death deposited a total of US$50,000,000.00 three
years ago with SNS Security Bank, London. He was a Director with Shell
Petroleum Development Company, Gabon.

Since I am the personal attorney of My late client, he gave me the custody
of the deposit documents, and as such entrusted me with the Legal Rights
to transfer and execute this deposit to any Next of Kin after his demise.
I have since tried to locate any Next of Kin to my late client without
success, hence I decided to contact you so that you can rightfully stand
as the next of kin to inherit the deposited sum by virtue of the fact that
you will be trust worthy and can provide an offshore account outside the
United Kingdom to receive the deposit.

This is a staggering sum, and I need a reliable person to help me with
necessary arrangements to transfer the deposited sum out of LONDON. By
virtue of my position as an Attorney, I will arrange the documents in your
name so that you can rightly apply as a Next of Kin to Late my client in a
capacity of a Family Member. You will be entitled to 40% of the total sum
should you be willing to assist me in this business transaction,and I will
get the remaining 60%. I will prepare a formal agreement to guide us in
this transaction for accountability purpose. Please forward me the
following details:

1,Your Full Name
2,Your Mailing Address
3,Telephone and Fax Number
4,Occupation and age

Please contact me via my email address:
lawyerbendavidrichardson1@hotmail.co.uk as soon as possible so that we can
start processing the documents. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours truly,
Lawyer Ben David Richardson [Esq.]

Anti-fraud resources:

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