419 scam: "JOHN PAUL"<HoAu60@earthlink.net> TO THE FAMILY

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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- +2348180242665

Fraud email example:

From: "JOHN PAUL" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <johnpaulassociates111@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2015 21:13:19 -0400
Subject: TO THE FAMILY

>From the Desk of Barrister John Paul Chambers.

No. 5 Cameroon St Ikoyi, By Fed. Secretariat

Lagos – Nigeria.

Tel: +234-818-024-2665

To the family of Acclaimed Deceased

I would have contacted you since last week, but I traveled for

wedding, however, while in my office preparing for the day job, two

white men a business man in Nigeria and a Benin Republic Banker came

into my office with shocking news, that you are dead. The two black

men one from Nigeria and the other from Benin Republic said that you

died last Friday of Throat cancer that your burial will be coming up

in two weeks time and the family asked the two White men to come for

the payment.

I suspected the moves because of the account they gave to me for the

payment into a different country. So I want any member of this family

to confirm to me if you are dead or not.

Note: If you do not authorize this claim, all I need is for you to

forward to me your direct telephone number, address, Full information

that correspond with the one on the Central Bank Computer programming

so that your fund will be released to you without further delay.

Thanks for your understanding.

Best regards,

BARRISTER JOHN PAUL

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam