419 scam: "Mr Donald Coulibally" <officeupdate-----3@att.net> Letter From Mr Donald Coulibally.

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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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- don@computermail.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Donald Coulibally" <officeupdate-----3@att.net>
Reply-To: <don@computermail.net>
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2011 06:21:42 +0100
Subject: Letter From Mr Donald Coulibally.

Dear Friend,

I am Coulibaly,a special assistant to President, Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire on foreign affairs and and a member of his kitchen cabinet.
I have a situation that I am writing you about which can only be handled by someone that is none Ivorian as such take special interest in communicating with you on this

confidential and important matter.

Trust is what I want from you only because this issue borders on investment funds that I intend sending to you as originally I front for his Excellency on financial matters

abroad and since this prevailing circumstances surrounding the last election in our country which made the international community place embargo and sanctions of various

degrees on our officials and functionaries, hence I sought to confide in you.

The amount that I want you to handle is already out from here through our connection with a fiduciary and in a bank vault (the mount involved will be disclose to you upon

your willingness) and so since the international community is bent on freezing all assets of functionaries including that of my boss. So, I have decided to order the release

of this immediate funds before it becomes knowledgeable to the international community so that you can move this funds to your personal account within the shortest time

possible.

This arrangement MUST be kept secret, please don't even discuss this with anybody. As this is strictly confidential, I implore you to contact me immediately you receive

this message through the below email, so that I can give more details and contacts abroad for your communication. Contact me directly via my personal email address:

doncou@blumail.org

I await sincere reply.
Mr Donald Coulibally.
Email:don@computermail.net

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam