419 scam: COLIN COOK <info@koala.com> CONFIDENTIAL MESSAGE

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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:
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "@lawyer.com" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
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.
- colin_cook@lawyer.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: COLIN COOK <info@koala.com>
Reply-To: <colin_cook@lawyer.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2014 16:55:22 -0700
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL MESSAGE

Compliment of the day, I am Attorney Barr. Colin Cook an account operator to late (Mr. Michael ) a nationality of your country who unfortunately died on the Terrorist attack in Liverpool London on the dated 7th July 2005. Since the death of Mr.Michael I as his account operator have made several inquiries to locate his relations to come up for the inheritance claim, without any success I came across your name on the course of my personal searching for the deceased relations/next of kin so I decided to contact you for this project. I am contacting you to assist in securing the wealth left behind in a fixed deposit account by my late client (Mr.Michael) before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Bank where my late client operates an account.

The board of Directors of the Bank has issued and spread a notice that after 2 months from now and no relation shown up for the claiming of the said funds, the funds will be confiscated and declared unserviceable.

Since The board of Directors of the Bank have not locate my client relatives for sometimes now, it's on this note that I seek your consent to present you as the relation/next of kin to my late client that the proceed of this deposit can be released into your account. The amount deposited (GBP 9.8M), I will agree with you on 40% for you while 60% for me, I guarantee that this transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement which will protect you from any breach of the law. Upon your response, furnish me with:

Your full name and address
Your telephone and fax numbers
Your occupation and age
Note : Forward your information to my direct email (colin_cook@lawyer.com)

As soon as I receive all these information from you I will present it to the bank Directors that I have locate the relation to my late client since they asked that I should provide the next of kin for them to release the inheritance fund. Let me hear from you once you acknowledge my email.

Yours faithfully,
Attorney Barr. Colin Cook Esq.

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Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam