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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "Barrister Steven Walker" <info@stevenwalker.com>
Reply-To: barr.stevenwalker.law@outlook.com
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 20:24:56 +0100
Subject: Mutual Proposal.

STEVEN WALKER LAW CHAMBERS,
SOUTH PLAZA,
2385 MARSH WALL
LONDON E14 67SH.
Tel:+447937642653
Soliciting Your Concern (Next Of Kin).

Greetings to you,

This is a personal email directed to you and I request that it be treated as such. I am Steven Walker Esq, a personal attorney/sole executor to the late Engineer Robert, hereinafter referred to as? my client" I represent the interest of my client killed with his immediate family in a fatal motor accident in East London on November 5, 2002. I would like to negotiate the terms of investment of resources available to him.

My late client worked as consulting engineer & sub-comptroller with Genesis Oil and Gas Consultants Ltd here in the United Kingdom and had left behind a deposit of Ten Million Eight Hundred Thousand British Pounds Sterling only (£10.8million) with a finance company. The funds originated from contract transactions he executed in his registered area of business. Just after his death, I was contacted by the finance house to provide his next of kin, reasons been that his deposit agreement contains a residuary clause giving his personal attorney express authority to nominate the beneficiary to his funds. Unknown to the bank, Robert had left no possible trace of any of his close relative with me, making all efforts in my part to locate his family relatives to be unfruitful since his death. In addition, from Robert?s own story, he was only adopted and his foster parents whom he lost in 1976, according to him had no possible trace of his real family.

The funds had remained unclaimed since his death, but I had made efforts with intent to locate any of his extended relatives who shall be claimants/beneficiaries of his abandoned personal estate, and all such efforts have been to no avail. More so, I have received official letters in the last few weeks suggesting a likely proceeding for confiscation of his abandoned personal assets in line with existing laws by the bank However, it will interest you to know that I discovered that some directors of this finance company are making plans already to have this fund to themselves only to use the excuse that since I am unable to find a next of kin to my late client then the funds should be confiscated, meanwhile their intentions is to have the funds retrieved for themselves.

I reasoned very professionally and resolved to use a legal means to retrieve the abandoned funds, and that is to present the next of kin of my deceased client to the bank. This is legally possible and would be done in accordance with the laws. On this note, I decided to search for a credible person and finding that you bear a similar last name, I was urged to contact you, that I may, with your consent, present you to be the surviving family member so as to enable you put up a claim to the bank in that capacity as a next of kin of my client. I find this to be possible for the fuller reasons that you are of the same nationality and you bear a similar last name with my late client making it a lot easier for you to put up a claim in that capacity. I have all vital documents that would confer you the legal right to lay claim to the funds, and it would back up your claim. I am willing to make these documents available to you so that the proceeds of this bank account valued at £10.8million can be paid to you before it is confiscated or declared unserviceable to the bank where this huge amount is lodged.

I sincerely sympathize with the death of my client but I think that it is unprofitable for his funds to be submitted to the government of this country or some financial institution. I seek your assistance since I have been unable to locate the relatives for the past four years now and since no one would come for the claim. I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last name giving you the advantage which also makes the claim most credible . In that stand, the proceeds of this account can be paid to you. Then, we talk about percentage. I know there are others with the same surname as my client, but after a little search, my instinct tells me to contact you. I shall assemble all the necessary documents that would be used to back up your claim.

I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of law. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this proposal is hitch-free and that you should not entertain any fears as the required arrangements have been made for the completion of this transfer. As I said, I require only a solemn confidentiality on this. Please get in touch via my alternative email(barr.stevenwalker@live.com)
for better confidentiality and if okay by you, send me your telephone number to enable us discuss further on this transaction. and If this proposal is acceptable by you, then do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you, Thanks for your understanding.

Kind Regards,
Steven Walker
Soliciting Your Concern (Next Of Kin).

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