419 scam: "Barrister Fernando Charles"<info@law.co.uk> REGARDING A SAFE DEPOSIT FUND IN YOUR NAME

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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- barr.fernando.c@hotmail.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Barrister Fernando Charles" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barr.fernando.c@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2012 12:55:01 -0700
Subject: REGARDING A SAFE DEPOSIT FUND IN YOUR NAME

FERNANDO C & ASSOCIATES
FROM THE DESK OF
BARRISTER FERNANDO CHARLES
3 Eastmount Lane
125 Julco
London
W1W 8QT
UNITED KINGDOM

I am the sole executor and trustee of the estate of a testator and I hereby attempt to reach you again by this same

email address stated on the TRUST as my previous notification to you was returned undelivered.Please if I reach you

this time as I am hopeful endeavour to get back to me.I have information concerning the availability of a safe

deposit box with a bank which has been listed in your name.The testator made you the beneficiary of the deposit box

which contains 375,000GBP as a secret trust.

Secret trust arises where a person called the testator transfers property to another party (the legatee) to be held

on trust for the benefit of a beneficiary who does not know that such a trust exists until the time stated in the

instrument creating the trust have reached.
Financial assets like this are considered unclaimed when contact with a beneficiary is lost for an extended period

or the where about is unknown to the executors of the trust.This often happens due to a name change after marriage

or divorce, an unreported change name and address or expired postal forwarding order,incomplete, illegible records

and result of computer and clerical errors. When legatee fail to claim an asset/funds over a specified period known

as the dormancy period, those left holding the trust property(funds)in a case like this where the trust was

invested, had ordered transfer custody to a special trust account in a process known as escheat.Your inheritance is

now escheated to the bank.

My duty is to provide legal assistance and claims administration for transfer of custody of the funds to you as the

sole and legal beneficiary.Upon your response to this email,I shall provide you will further information on the

release of the funds to you .I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.

Godspeed,
Barrister Fernando Charles
Email: barr.fernando.c@hotmail.co.uk

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam