419 scam: "BARR, ANTONIO MAROTO"<service@corp.mail.com> HELLO

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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.

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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 friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand us 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)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "barrister" (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.
- +34632741166 (Spain, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "BARR, ANTONIO MAROTO" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sanzmarotoantonio956@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2018 18:55:42 -0700
Subject: HELLO

Dear friend,

Firstly, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction; this is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential and top secret. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. My name is Barrister Antonio Sanz Maroto, a personal Attorney to my late client; my purpose of contacting you is for you to help me and secure the funds left behind by my late client, to avoid it being confiscated or declared unclaimed by the Bank; the fund valued $23.500, 000.00 (Twenty Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars) was deposited by my late client before he passed away on the 16th April 2012, living the fund with no Will.

The Bank has issued me a final notice to contact his relative’s/the next of kin or else the account will be declared unserviceable and the fund will be diverted to the Bank treasury, So far all my efforts to get a hold of some one related to my late client has been in vain. Hence, I have decided to look for a reliable person that has gotten the same surname with my late client. I am actually asking for your consent to present you to the Bank as the Next of Kin, since you have the same surname so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to your account. All the legal documentations to back up our claim as my client's next of Kin, I shall provide them. All I require from you is your full confidential co-operation to enable us achieve this transaction.

I wish to point out that I want 10% of this money to be shared among the Charity Organizations, while the remaining 90% is shared equally between us. This transaction is entirely risk free. I will use my position as the client’s personal attorney to guarantee the successful execution of this transaction. If you are interested, please contact me via Tel: +34 632 741 166,or Email: upon your response, I shall then provide you with more details and relevant documents that will help you understand more on this transaction.

However, if this business proposal offends your moral ethics, please do accept my sincere apology, If on the contrary you wish to achieve this goal with me, kindly get back to me with your interest for further explanations.

Kindest Regards,
Barrister Antonio Sanz Maroto.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam