419 scam: "Attorney Ego Esq."<tasbizf@yahoo.com> IMPORTANT NOTICE

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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:
- "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)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "Attorney Ego Esq." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <tasbizf@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2017 17:40:26 +0100
Subject: IMPORTANT NOTICE

This is a personal email addressed to you and I ask that it should be treated as such. I'm Ego Esq. I am personal attorney to a client, who has worked as an independent oil trader in my country before he died in an accident on 13th of October, 2008.

I realized this search on you and I am contacting you because you bear a similar last name with my client at the end and further reasons are as follows:

Since the death of my client in 13th of October, 2008, I have written several letters to the embassy to find any of his relatives extended which will be claimants / beneficiaries of the estate but all my efforts have been to no avail.

However, going from one edition this January 2017 by the bank in which my client deposited the sum of £3,200,000.00 million GBP concerning all unclaimed funds advising beneficiaries or Next of Kin to come forward and claim their funds. I seek your approval for this reason, that you present to the trustees as my client relatives to give a name similar to last with so that you can help repatriate the money in a foreign account and promise a fair share among us at the end of the transfer.

Respond urgently if you are very interested.

Regards,

Ego (Esq).

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam