419 scam: "J.Kenny Esq"<> Urgent reply needed please

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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:
- "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)
- "million united state 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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
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.
- helpdesk00110@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "J.Kenny Esq"<>
Reply-To: helpdesk00110@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 13:47:21 -0800
Subject: Urgent reply needed please

JOHN KENNY
LEGAL PRACTITIONER, SOLICITOR & ADVOCATE
LAGOS NIGERIA.
15/12/2014

Dear Mr.John Doe

I am Barrister John Kenny personal attorney to your
late Christopher Doe,bussinessman and former expatriate
with Chevron Oil Producing Plc. here in Nigeria herein
after shall be referred to as my client.

My client and his entire family (wife and two
children) were involved in the 3rd June 2012
fatal plane crash of Dana Airlines Flight 992 in
which all passengers were burnt to death unfortunately my
client and his entire family lost their lives.

For confirmation check the CNN report below.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/06/world/africa/nigeria-plane-tragedy/index.html

Since then I have made several enquiries to your
embassy to locate any of my clients extended
relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After
these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to
track his last name over the Internet, to locate any
member of his family hence I contacted you.

My purpose of contacting you is to assist in
repatriating the fund left behind by my client prior
to his death before they get confiscated or declared
unserviceable by the Bank where this huge deposit were
lodged in, where the deceased had an account valued at
about USD$13M(Thirteen Million United State Dollars in BONDS)

The Bank had issued me a notice to provide the next of
kin or have the account confiscated within the next 14
official working days. Since I have been unsuccessful
in locating the relatives for over one year, now I
seek your consent as the next of kin of the deceased
so that the proceeds of this account valued at USD$13M can be paid
to you and then we split.

I will provide all the necessary official and
legal documents that can be used to back up your
claim.

All I require is your honest co-operation to enable me
as the legal attorney to the deceased in seeing that
you receive your inherited fund.

I can confidently guarantee you,that this transaction
will be executed legitimately to protect you from any
breach of the law and legal encumbrances in the future..

Please get back to me through my private email
address:helpdesk00110@gmail.com for further
discussion.

Best Regards,
Barrister John Kenny

Anti-fraud resources:

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