419 scam: "Paulin Cossi"<pcossi2010@gmail.com> Attn: Beneficiary

joewein.net

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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)
- "into your nominated bank account" (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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "cotonou" (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.
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.
- +2347040895414 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Paulin Cossi" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <paulincossi01@mail.mn>
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2010 21:57:47 +0100
Subject: Attn: Beneficiary

Attn: Beneficiary.

It was resolved after the Board meetings by the Foreign Remittance Department to release all outstanding Inheritance/Contract payment waiting for transfer as we began the last fiscal payment of the year. You are to re-confirm the information listed below:

1. Your Full Name:

2. Your Complete Mailing Address:

3. Your Telephone/Fax Number:

4. Occupation:

We know that people have channeled your fund to Barclays Bank London, promising to get your fund transfer into your nominated bank account. You are strictly warned to stop further communication to anybody claiming to assist you in this regard.

Please you should see this notice as the very last correspondence message sent to you awaits your immediate attention on the matter.

Waiting for your urgent reply.

Thanks,

Yours in Service.

Mr. Paulin Cossi.

From The Desk of Auditing Section,

Central Bank of West African States,

Cotonou, Benin-Republic.

Bank Website- www.bceao.int

+234 704 0895 414.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam