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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• 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)
  • "await your urgent response" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "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.
• 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.
  • williamsagu02@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Williams Agu <williams@aguwilliams1.orangehome.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2007 10:45:48 +0100 (CET)
Subject: Appointed as next of kin



BARRISTER WILLIAMS AGU Esq.
LLB,LLM,BL,SAN.
Senior Advocate, International Legal Practitioner
Agu's chambers & Financial Attorney
#16 Akintola William Str.Ikeja lagos-Nigeria
Email: williamsagu02@yahoo.com

Attn:

I am a lawyer. I am the personal attorney to Late Mr. Kenneth Bishop, a National of your Country, who used to work as a contractor with Crystal Construction Company Inc.,herein after shall be referred to as my client. On the 21st of April 2002, my client, his wife and their three children were involved in a car accident along Sagamu 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 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 by the bank where this huge deposit were lodged. Particularly, the bank where the deceased had an account valued above US$10,000,000.00 has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated and the funds returned to the government.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over two years now 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 above US$10,000,000.00 can be paid to you and then you and I can share the money, 60% to me and 40% to you. I have all the necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make. All I require is your honest cooperation 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. Please get in touch with me by my email or above e-mail address and send to me your telephone and fax numbers to enable us discuss further about this transaction.

I await your urgent response and positive attention in this circumstance.Please write back through this email address(williamsagu02@yahoo.com). You should call me on this number +234- 802- 7222-511 for oral discussion.

Best regards,
Barrister Williams Agu, LLB, LLM, BL,SAN
Attorney at Law.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam