419 scam: Brrister Christopher Archer <barrchristarcher@yahoo.com> From Barrister Christopher Archer

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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:
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand us 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)
- "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)
- "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.

Fraud email example:

From: Brrister Christopher Archer <barrchristarcher@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: Brrister Christopher Archer <christopherarcher13@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:49:22 +0100 (BST)
Subject: From Barrister Christopher Archer

Greetings,

I know this Letter will come to you as a surprise, though I do not intend to embarrass you. Let me start by

formally introducing My self to you . I am Barrister Christopher Archer, a Legal Practitioner of an
accredited Law Firm . I am the Attorney to the late Engr. Robert Allen, who lost his life during the 2004 Tsunami

disaster while on vacation with his family in Thailand, at the famous tourist resort Island of Phuket. My deceased

client lived most of his life time in Ghana and took here as home.

As a consultant to Gold Mining Companies in Ghana he made fortune for himself and I have been his personal Attorney

Spanning for a period of five years. My late client took life Insurance Policy which entitles any Surviving member

of his family to a large sum of USD$5,200,000.00 (Five Million, Two Hundred Thousand US Dollars) in the event of

his death. Unfortunately his wife, Son and two female children who statutorily are his next of kin died with him in

the disaster and under the existing law here, the Surviving relatives of my deceased client becomes the
benefactors.

It is as a result of this development that compelled me to go into an extensive search in the internet for possible

trace of his people there in your country but to no avail. However, I want to seek your consent to present you as a

next of kin to my deceased client. As the attorney to the deceased, the onus of proof to establish your

relationship with my client rest on me and to achieve this objective, there are judicial process involved which I

will brief you on subsequent correspondence if you indicate interest.

I am not pursuing this claim for the monetary gain but a duty I owe to my late client as I intend to use part of

the funds to establish a Charity Foundation or Children Hospital in his name, notwithstanding you will be entitled

with 30% of the total funds for your assistance in this endeavor.

Thanks and Best Regards,
Mr. Christopher Archer Esq.
Archer, Archer & Co.
10 Kakramadu Road, East Cantonments,
Accra Ghana.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam