419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

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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:
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
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.
- barrjohnkoffib@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Barr. Jon Koffi" <financialbankplc888@gmail.com>
Reply-To: barrjohnkoffib@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2016 01:33:53 -0800
Subject: contact me with this email address( barrjohnkoffib@gmail.com )for
more details and Explanation

--
Attention:

My name are, Advocate.Jon Koffi, a lawyer in Republic of Benin,
Mr.Roberta , was a gold merchant and also my client before his death
which was a result of lung cancer.

Now I want to present you as the next of kin, to my late client Bank
management so that the money left behind by my late client will
immediately transfer to your account through my assistance by
presenting you to the bank.

The money value of â‚¬1.5 Million euro (One million five hundred
thousand European currency) was deposited in a bank here by my late
client,before his Death on 23 November2012.Please mail me back on this
my private email address ( barrjohnkoffib@gmail.com ) for more
explanation and details.

Best regards,
Barr. Jon Koffi

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam