419 scam: "Barrister Khun Chai"<khun@chambers.org> From The Desk Of Barrister Khun Chai

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "chambers" (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.
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.
- barr_khunchai@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Barrister Khun Chai" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barr.khunchai@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 18:15:49 +0700
Subject: From The Desk Of Barrister Khun Chai

From The Desk Of Barrister Khun Chai
Khun Chai And Associates Chambers,
38 Sapong Road,
Bangkok Thailand.
Email: barr_khunchai@yahoo.com.hk

Dear Friend,

Kindly accept my apology for sending unsolicited mail to you, I believe you are a respected personality considering the fact that i source your profile from a human resource profile database of your country.

Though strange or surprising this contacts might seems to you as we have not met before either physical or through correspondence,i humbly ask that you take due consideration of my mail and the immense benefit it will be to you as i feel safe and prefer dealing with a foreign person on this issue.

For the purpose of introduction, I am Barrister Khun Chai, a Solicitor From Thailand. I am the Personal Attorney to Late MR ALFRED WILLIAMS a foreign investor and property agent who died in a ghastly car accident with his entire family (Wife and 3 children) in Thailand on the 22nd of August 2006.

Since then i have made several inquiries in locating any of my late clients relatives and all my attempts toward this has been unsuccessful.

Recently, Government declare claim on some of my deceased clients properties as a result of some dept owing before his death, Due to this I decided to search over the internet to locate someone who can quickly assist together with me to move a fund of the deceased, sum of US$ 25,000,000.00 (Twenty Five Million U.S Dollars) with a Bank, before they notice and declare the fund. Hence i contacted you.

I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased to claim this fund immediately from the Bank before any noticing, so that we can share it 50:50 and be happy together.

I have all the necessary ducuments that will back up our claim we will make with the Bank. All I require is your total co-operation and confidentiality to enable us seeing this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed legitimately with my power of attorney that will
protect you from any breach of the law.

You are needed as a next of kin to claim this fund and be happy together.

For further information and direction on how to execute this deal kindly get back to me on this email: barr_khunchai@yahoo.com.hk

Best Regards
Barrister Khun Chai (Esq)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam