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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million dollars" (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.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "Uzo Mike" <barristermikeuzo2@mailbox.hu>
Reply-To: barristermikeuzo@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2008 01:51:26 -0700
Subject: Dear Friend,


Dear Friend,


I am Barrister Mike Uzo, a solicitor at law.

I am the personal attorney to late Engr Patrick, who worked with a
Multi-National Oil Firm in Nigeria, unfortunately lost his life in a car
accident along sagbama express road, on 21st April 2004. Since the death of
Patrick, I as his personal attorney, have made several enquiries to locate
his only surviving relation, without any success. I came across your name
and contact on the course of my personal searching for Patrick's relations,
so I decided to contact you for this project. I am contacting you to assist
in repatriating and securing the wealth left behind in a fixed deposit
account by Patrick, before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by
Bank where my client operates an account worth $USD6.2 Million Dollars. The
board of Bank has issued me a notice that after 2 months from now and no
next of kin shown up for the claiming of the said funds, the funds will be
confiscated and declared unserviceable.

Since I and my team have been unsuccessful in locating Patrick's relatives
for sometime now,it on this note that I seek your consent to present you as
the Next of Kin of the deceased since you are bearing the same last name
with him, so that the proceed of this deposit valued at $USD6.2 Million
Dollars can be released to you for our disbursments.All requires is your
honest cooperation to enable us see this business successful. I guarantee
that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement which will protect
you from any breach of the law. Patrick was a very good man and it is not
wise for me to allow his hard earned wealth to be stolen by the greedy
directors of the Bank .Further details awaits your response by email.Upon
your response, furnish me with:

Your full name and address
Your telephone and fax numbers
Your occupation and age

As soon as I receive all these information from you I will email you with a
draft that you will fill and send to the bank Directors to enabe them know
that I have locate the relation to my late client since they asked that I
should provide the next of kin for them to release the inheritance fund. Let
me hear from you once you acknowledge my email.

Yours faithfully,
Barrister Mike Uzo(Esq).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam