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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:
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "cotonou" (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 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.
  • +22997542270 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: Barr Eustace <barreustace1@yahoo.fr>
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:26:44 -0800 (PST)
Subject: ATTN:NEXT OF KIN Niels Ellen



 EUSTACE AND ASSOCIATES CHAMBERS   
Office located at Lot 112 Cendei AV.City ; Cotonou Country; Benin Rep,.
Tel: +22997542270
Email:   bar_eustace54@live.fr
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
ATTN:NEXT OF KIN Niels Ellen
 
I know that you must have received the first letter I sent to you by post, but if you have not, here comes a follow-up to the Letter. PLEASE DONT BE EMBARASSED NOR OFFENDED BY MY E-MAIL TO YOU. I WANT YOUTO KNOW THAT OUT OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OUTTHERE I CHOOSE TO CONTACT YOU. Is obvious we don’t know each other yet, but we don’t know why nature is crossing our path today. Meeting new people in our lives is a never ending circle. You are like God sent to me today as I type this mail for you. You may think this is too good to be real, but I am telling you today that as God lives, this is real as the air both of us breathe.
 
Let me start by formally introducing myself to you. I am Barrister Eustace Okoro a Legal Practitioner. I am the Attorney representing Engr.James Ellen , who lost his life in Tsunami disaster while on vacation with his family in Thailand at the famous tourist resort Island of Phuket. According to report reaching me, based on an extensive inquiry through Benin Rep. Embassy in Thailand revealed that non of his family members survived the devastating Tsunami disaster. My deceased client lived most of his life time in Benin Republic and took here as a home, since according to him he was raised up in an orphanage in his country having been abandoned by his mother. As a consultant to Oil Prospecting Companies in Benin Rep. he made fortune for himself and I have been his personal Attorney for a period of five years.
 
Now to the issue-Based on my relationship with my client, he informed me of some wonderful ideas he wants to embark on which was to build one or two churches and even mosque around the third wave countries and also donate monies to churches, mosques and also to less privilege homes around the globe too with this deposit of US$4.860.000.00m he made through a CODED account in his local bank here in Africa which he gave me the CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT to keep as his lawyer. In the event of his death, unfortunately, his wife and children who statutorily are his next of kin are no more and under the existing law here, the Surviving relatives of my deceased client becomes the benefactor. It is as a result of this development that compelled me to go into an extensive search in the internet for possible trace of his family linage but to no avail.
 
THE BANK Chairman and Members of the Board of Directors, started arrangement for the fund to be declared "Unclaimed" and subsequently be donated as trust fund for arms/ ammunition to further enhance the course of War in Africa for their selfish political interest/investment. In order to avert this negative development, I hereby need your cooperation in order to see that the Will of my late clients actualised. I can never achieve this objective without a trustworthy foreigner and this is where you come in.
 
However, I want to seek your consent to present you as a relative to My deceased client by virtue of family linage since coincidentally you have same last name with my late client . As attorney to the deceased the responsibility to establish your relationship with my client rest on me and to achieve this objective, there are judicial processes involved which I will brief you on subsequent correspondence if you indicate interest. Also take note that this is 100% risk free and legal.
 
I am not pursuing this claim for the financial gain. It is a duty I owe to my late client as I intend to use part of the funds to establish a foundation in his name, notwithstanding you will be adequately rewarded for your assistance in this endeavour when you indicate your interest let me know how many percentage of the said fund you would want me to offer you for your assistance.
bar_eustace54@live.fr
Barr Eustace Esq.
+22997542270

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam