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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "JEFF BROWN" <jeffbrown960@msn.com>
Reply-To: jeffbrown21221@netscape.net
Date: Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:29:56 +0000
Subject: I AM CONTACTING YOU TO ASSIST ME.

FROM: BARRISTER JEFF BROWN,
JEFF & BROWN AND ASSOCIATES
LAGOS-NIGERIA

Dear Sir,

I am Barrister Jeff Brown a solicitor at law. And I am the personal attorney
to late Mr. James Cohen a national of your country, who used to work with
Chevron Oil Company in Nigeria. Here in after shall be referred to as my
client. On the 21st of April 2001, my client late Mr. James Cohen and his
family was involved in plane crash in Lagos, 95 people were burnt to death
unfortunately my client late Mr. James Cohen and his family lost their
lives.

Since then I have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my
clients extended relatives this has also prove unsuccessful. After these
several unsuccessful attempts, to locate any member of his family hence I
contacted you, I am contacting you to assist in repatriating the money and
property left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared
unserviceable to the bank where this huge deposit were lodged. Particularly,
the finance company where the deceased had an account valued at about USD5.5
million dollars has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have
the account confiscated within the next few official working days.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 3 years
now I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to my late client,
so that the proceeds of this account valued at USD5.5 million dollars can be
paid to you, and then you and I can share the money.60% to me and 40% to you
and all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we
may make shall be secured in your favor. All I require is your honest
cooperation to enable us seeing this deal through.

I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that
will protect you from any breach of the law. Please get in touch with me and
send to me your telephone and fax numbers to enable us discuss further about
this transaction. Please if you are interested, kindly get back to me for
more instruction.

Kind regards,
Barrister Jeff Brown.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam