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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:
  • "deadline" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "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 next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348038756411 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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_jacobokara@hotmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "jacob okara" <jacobokara_esq@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 01 Oct 2005 14:59:25 +0000
Subject: TREAT AS URGENT.

JACOB OKARA CHAMBERS
TINUBU SQUARE LAGOS, NIGERIA
Email;barr_jacobokara@hotmail.com
Date:1st october,2005.
Tel.:234-803-8756411

Dear Friend,

My name is Barrister Jacob Okara a legal practitioner and the personal
attorney to late Mr. Richard Waters who died with his wife and two sons
in a plane crash on the 4th of May, 2002. All the occupants in the
plane lost their lives.


My client was a successful and an accomplished family man, who made
enough fortune before his untimely death.

After the death of my client his bank contacted me, as his Attorney to
provide his next-of-kin who should inherit his funds.

The board of directors of his bank adopted a resolution and I was
mandated to provide his next-of-kin for the payment of this money
within 28 working days or forfeit the money to the federal government
treasury account as an abandoned property.

After making several unsuccessful attempts to locate his relatives, I
decided to trace his relatives through the Internet inorder to locate
any member of his family yet nothing came out of it.

The bank had planned to invoke the abandoned property decree of 1996 to
confiscate the funds after the expiration of the period given to me.

My late client was a successful businessman, an oil magnet here in
Nigeria and he left behind a deposit of($13,722,000.00USD) in his
domiciliary bank account in a commercial bank here in Lagos.

I have reasoned very professionally and I feel it will be legally
proper to present you as the next-of-kin of my deceased client, so that
you can be paid the funds left in his bank account.PLEASE SEE THE WEBSITE
BELOW FOR CONFIRMATION


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1968300.stm

The procedure for approval is simple.Once you indicate your interest,
an affidavit of claim will be made and a letter of admnistration will
be obtained from the probate Registry which will authorise the release of
the funds to you.An application letter will also be sent to the bank
informing them of our intention to claim the funds.

This documents and some others will be notarised and forwarded to the
legal department of the Bank for vetting and approval.

As you can see everything will follow a normal legal process,thereby
assuring you that you are not exposing yourself to any legal problem.
I will back up all necessary documents that will be required at the
court.

You dont have to worry about any risk. All I require is your honest
co-operation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this
will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you
from any breach of the law.All that is required from you is as follows:

1.Your Full name and contact address as you want them to appear in the
document here.
2. Private telephone number
3. Private fax number
4. Also inform me on how you want the funds to be paid to you.As you
can see time is of great essence as the bank has given me deadline.

We shall both share the funds this way; 55% for me while 40% will go
for your contribution. 5% should be for expenses cured during the
process of transfer.

Contact me as soon as possible so that I will intimate you with the
details.But if you are not interested,indicate by sending an email so
that I can look for someone who will be interested.I await your
anticipated response.

Thank you.

Barr. Jacob Okara.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam