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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.)
  • "central bank of nigeria" (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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: Emmanuel Odu <emmanuelodu_2005@yahoo.no>
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:25:03 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: YOUR INDULGENCE


Dear Sir,

I am Barrister Emmanuel Odu, a solicitor at Law. I am the personal attorney to a national of your country, who used to work with Shell Development Company in Nigeria. Here in after shall be referred to as my client. On the 21st of April 2004, Ibrahim Malik, his wife and their three Children were involved in an Auto accident along Oshodi-Isolo express-road. All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives.
Since then I have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives and 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. I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money and property left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank here and these huge deposits are with the CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN) where the deceased had an account valued provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated within the next ten official working days.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 2 years now and I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last name so that the proceeds of this account valued at $11.5million dollars can be paid to you and then you and I can share the money. 50% for me and 40% to you, while 10% will be for all the expenses incurred in this transaction and I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make.
All I require is your honest co-operation, private telephone number and fax number.

I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.
Thanks.
Kind Regards
BARRISTER EMMANUEL ODU.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam