419 scam: Barrister Paul <paulgodwin9909@gmail.com> ATTENTION...

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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:
- "huge deposit" (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 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.
- +2348162694972
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.
- paul_3godwin@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Barrister Paul <paulgodwin9909@gmail.com>
Reply-To: paul_3godwin@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2011 12:02:20 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: ATTENTION...

Good day.

I am Barrister Paul Godwin, the Personal Attorney to Mr.Wilson Gallagher.A
national of your country,who used to work with Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation(NNPC).On the 21st of April 2007, my client, his
wife and their three children were involved in a car accident along Sagamu/Lagos
Express Road.Unfortunately they all lost their lives in the event of
the accident. 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 of no avail.Hence I contacted you.

I contacted you to assist in repartrating the money and property left behind by
my client
before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where
this huge deposits were lodged,particularly, the Bank where the
deceased had an account valued at about $9 million U.S dollars.
Conseqently,the bank issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or
have the account confiscated within the next ten official working days,since I
have been unsuccesfull in locating the the relatives for over 4 years now.

I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since
you are from the same country so that the proceeds of this account
valued at $9 million U.S dollars can be paid to you and then you and I can
share the money, 55% for me and 40% for you, while 5% should be for
expenses or tax as your government may require.I have all necessary
legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make.

All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal through.I
guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that
will protect you from any breach of the law.Please get in touch with me
by my private email paul_3godwin@yahoo.com or even better,I would prefer
if you could call me on +2348162694972 to enable us discuss further.

If you are interested in this transaction,I would like you to provide me with
the

following details to enable me begin work on this transaction swiftly

1)Your full name
2)Your contact address
3)Your telephone number
4)Your age
5)Your occupation.

I earnestly await your response.

Best Regards.

Paul Godwin esq.
+2348162694972

Anti-fraud resources:

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