419 scam: "Tim Osborn" <tim_osborn@rocketmail.com> LATE MR. RONALD STEWART'S PHILANTHROPIC FUND

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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:
- "here in london united kingdom" (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)
- ",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)
- "is highly confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "u.k " (this email uses bad English)
- "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 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.
- +447024083307 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
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.
- tim_osborn@rocketmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Tim Osborn" <tim_osborn@rocketmail.com>
Reply-To: tim_osborn1@rocketmail.com
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2014 00:09:22 +0800
Subject: LATE MR. RONALD STEWART'S PHILANTHROPIC FUND

BARRISTER TIM OSBORN'S LAW CHAMBERS
LEGAL PRACTITIONERS AND PRIVATE LAWYER
111 CRAVEN HILL GARDEN
LONDON, W1F 8GJ
UNITED KINGDOM
PHONE +447024083307
Email:tim_osborn@rocketmail.com

LATE MR. RONALD STEWART'S PHILANTHROPIC FUND

My name is Barrister.Tim Osborn; I am a native of England, and president in
the Chambers Tim Osborn Law Chambers here in London United Kingdom. I am a
legal practitioner, called to the U.K Bar in 1986. I used to be the personal
Attorney to late Mr. Ronald Stewart.

Mr. Ronald Stewart was a great philanthropist before death; before he died, he
made a philanthropic will of Eight Million Dollars (US$8,000,000.00) which was
meant to be donated to charity organizations in Africa to support African
children living with HIV/AIDS.

It is our great desire to claim this fund so that it can be used for the
purpose for which it is meant, because the bank where the money is currently
deposited has instructed that we produce the beneficiary of this fund within
14 working days else the money will be confiscated to the Government's
treasury as unclaimed funds.

You have to get back to me immediately so that we can begin the process of
transferring the fund into any of your designated bank accounts. As soon as I
receive your reply message I shall give you further information on the process.

With your full co-operation, this transaction shall be concluded within 7
days, and after the funds have been transferred into your account, you shall
keep 30% of the money ($2.4m) to yourself as the beneficiary, donate 30% to
any Charity Organization of your choice, while the balance of 40% comes to me
as the attorney in this transaction.

Also, this transaction is highly confidential and should remain as such until
the funds must have been transferred into your account, so do not discuss this
transaction with ANYBODY. I wait to hear back from you immediately, so that I
can give you all the necessary information needed to proceed, and don't forget
to include your name, location and phone numbers in your response.

Private Email:tim_osborn@rocketmail.com

Barrister Tim Osborn(Esq..)

Copyright@ 2014 Tim Osborn Law Chambers, all rights reserved.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam