419 scam: Barrister Billy John-Esq <chinamelumnwafor@gmail.com> CAN I TRUST YOU WITH $14.8 MILLION USD?

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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:
- "with your full names" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - 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.)
- "barristerbillyjohn@yahoo.cn" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
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.
- +22999037846 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: Barrister Billy John-Esq <chinamelumnwafor@gmail.com>
Reply-To: barristerbillyjohn@yahoo.cn
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2012 20:03:19 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: CAN I TRUST YOU WITH $14.8 MILLION USD?

Hello Dear Partner,

Please treat this message with every seriousness and confidentiality. My name is Barrister Billy John, Principal Attorney for Goshen Chambers and private lawyer to late Engineer Alan Jackman your country's National and Civil Engineer/Contractor who worked with the Asturiana DE Zinc S.A. in Spain for thirteen years.

On 11th March 2004, my client lost his life alongside his wife, daughter and several others in the tragic terrorist bomb blast in Madrid, Spain .Please visit this webpage http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3500452.stm for a detailed information on the incident.

Before My Client's death, he owned and operated an account valued at $14.800, 000, 00 USD (Fourteen Million, Eight Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) with a bank here in Benin Republic. Ever since then, as the family Attorney and friend I have made several inquires to locate any of my client's extended relatives but this has proved unsuccessful.

This afternoon, the bank issued me another notice (the third and final) to provide his relative or have the account confiscated within the next 10 bank working days. As I have been unsuccessful in locating his immediate relatives for over 6 years, I hereby seek your consent in order to present you to the bank as a distant relative to the deceased, the proceeds of this account shall be transferred to any of your nominated bank account for us to share 45% for you, 45% for me and 10% for any expenses or taxes as your home Government may require.

All I require is your honest cooperation and I guarantee that this will be executed under a legal and legitimate arrangement that will protect us from any breach of the law in the near or distant future. I have a reputation as a seasoned Attorney to protect and will not allow any loopholes in this transaction.
This transaction is 100% risk free as I have every document/information and will arrange any other document that will assist your/our claims in order to facilitate the release of the funds to you/us.

Please carefully go through this proposal line by line and if you have honestly made up your mind to partner with me, kindly reply via my below private email or fax with your full names, address and private telephone number as soon as you receive this message. Please be free to ask any questions.

I await your sincere response urgently; here is my private email address: barristerbillyjohn@yahoo.cn
Yours sincerely,
Barrister Billy John-Esq
Tel:+229-9903-7846

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam