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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

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

Fraud email example:

From: "Williams Musumba" <williamsmusumba@msn.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 2005 15:31:34 +0000
Subject: Urgent Reply

BARRISTER WILLIAMS MUSUMBA (SAN)
LEGAL PRACTITIONER, SOLICITOR & ADVOCATE
LAGOS NIGERIA

Dear Freind,

I am Barr. Williams Musumba (SAN), personal attorney to late Engineer Robert
Mcnaughton, who used to work with Osusu Construction Company Nig. ltd. here
in Nigeria herein after, shall be referred to as my client.

My client with his entire family (The wife and Two Children) were involved
in the bomb explosion in Lagos, Nigeria, on January 27th, 2002 which, claim
many lives and property. Unfortunately, my client and the family lost their
lives in that disaster that needed not to have happened. 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 (Estate)
left behind by my client prior to his death before they get confiscated or
declared unserviceable by the company where this huge deposit were lodged
in, where the deceased had an account valued at about US$10.4 million. The
company 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 US$10.4 million can be paid to you.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 inheritance fund. I
guarantee that this will be executed legitimately to protect you from any
breach of the law.

You can find information about the January 27th, 2002 Bomb Explosion on the
websites below.

http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2002/02/02.html
http://www.afro.who.int/country_offices_press/2002/pr2002_nigeria.html

Please get back to me through my email address for further discussion.

Best regards,

Barr. Williams Musumba (SAN)


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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam