419 scam: "Barrister Williams Chambers and Law Firm"<williamssaraki101@btinternet.com> Attention My dear friend, this is very urgent that you respond immediately.

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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:

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)
- ",500,000" (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)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "nigeria national petroleum corporation" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "abuja" (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.

Fraud email example:

From: "Barrister Williams Chambers and Law Firm" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <williams_saraki1001@gazeta.pl>
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2011 02:15:04 +0800
Subject: Attention My dear friend, this is very urgent that you respond immediately.

Barrister Williams Chambers and Law Firm
Plot 2186, Ibrahim Babangida Way, Zone 4,
Wuse District Abuja,
Nigeria

Attention My dear friend,

Complement of the day, I hope to meet you well and in good condition of life, my name is Barrister Williams Saraki, a Lawyer, Solicitor and a member of the Nigerian Bar Association. My purpose of contacting you is to inform you of an inheritance/payment left on your name by one of my clients (Late Mr. George W. Wilson) an American who was a contractor with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporations before his death.

Please note that this is an inheritance/payment worth $10,500,000.00usd certified check on your name and was deposited with me before the untimely death of my dear client after the plane crash that took the life of his entire family last August 2009. He has instructed me to contact you after his departure as his next of kin and beneficiary of the said payment but accidentally one Mr. John Wheeler also an American has come to me with a claim that you are also dead and that he is now the next of kin to you and with him is a signed Deed and Agreement showing he now has the right to make claim of the payment.

But if this is false and you are well and in good condition of life then confirm this email by writing back immediately with a reconfirmation of your contact information as stated below and upon it I will ensure that Mr. John Wheeler will be arrested, and no payment will be paid to him but to you alone.

Please see the information expected of you as confirmation.

Full Name:
Address:
Country:
Sex:
Age:
Occupation:
Personal/Direct Phone number:
Send any copy of Identity: (driver's license, passport photograph or int'l passport)

I hope to hear very soon from you as this is a matter of confirmation and urgency or I should assumed you really have given the right of claim to Mr. John Wheeler if I did not hear from you after 72hrs (3days) from today.

I will appreciate your urgent response to me as also a strong indication that you have not giving anybody the right to claim your inheritance from Late Mr. George W. Wilson.

Yours truly,

Barr Williams Saraki.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam