419 scam: "Barr. Harry Okokomaiko"<admin@ibriec.org> From Barrister Harry Okokomaiko

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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 sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "huge deposit" (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)
- "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)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Barr. Harry Okokomaiko" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barr.harryokoko@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 12:40:28 +0700
Subject: From Barrister Harry Okokomaiko

Dear Sir/Madam,

Good day. I apologize for sending you this sensitive information via e-mail (Internet) which has been greatly abused instead of a Certified mail/Post-mail. This is due to the urgency and importance of the information. I am Harry Okokomaiko a solicitor at law. I am the Personal Attorney to Mr. Daniel A. Overman, a National of your Country, who has lived in Nigeria for the past fifty years, and whom here in after shall be referred to as my client.

On April 2005, my client was involved in a fatal car accident. All occupants of the vehicle lost their lives; my client was one of them. I have contacted you to assist in repatriating most specially, the money left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where these huge deposits were lodged.

Particularly, the Wema Bank where the deceased had an account valued at about $14.7 million dollars has issued me a notice to provide the Next of kin, or have the account confiscated. I seek your consent to present you as the Next of kin of the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at $14.7 million dollars can be paid to you as my client's Next of Kin, and then we can share the amount on a mutual agreed percentage which will be calculated on the percentage of your assistance in securing this claim both financially and otherwise.

All legal documents to back up your claim as the deceased Next of Kin will be provided. All I require is your cooperation to enable us seeing this deal through and I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law if you are willing to help in this claim. Please get back to me with the below information to enable us proceed.

YOUR FULL NAME_________________
YOUR ADDRESS___________________
YOUR OCCUPATION________________
YOUR AGE_________________________
YOUR DIRECT TEL NUMBER_________

Best Regards,
Harry Okokomaiko.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam