419 scam: "Mrs. Stella A. Komah"<info.officialmail@Safe-mail.net> Dear Beneficiary, From Mrs. Stella A. Komah (UN Debt Payment Coordinator)

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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:
- "transfer of your funds" (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)
- "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
- "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.
- +22966367159 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- info.unitednations-debtpayprogram@africamail.com (Africamail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Stella A. Komah" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <official.message@rocketmail.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 00:07:05 -0700
Subject: Dear Beneficiary, From Mrs. Stella A. Komah (UN Debt Payment Coordinator)

Mrs. Stella A. Komah
Foreign Payment Coordinator/Adviser
United Nations/West African Debt Payment Program
Cotonou Secretariat, Republic of Benin.
West Africa.
Email: info.unitednations-debtpayprogram@africamail.com
Tel: +229 663 67159

Dear Beneficiary,
Re: Your Claim Payment
This letter is strictly important and official,though this is an unusual manner of contacting you because there is no fax line nor a direct phone contact stated to reach you in your payment file, but this particular letter is of exceptional and very official, since this how the processing of your claim commence, well there is absolutely going to be a great doubt and distrust in your heart presently in respect of this email, coupled with the fact that you have face lots of ugly experience in the pursuit of your claim in the past, thereby making it extremely difficult for you genuine and legitimate contractors/beneficiaries to receive their over due claim payment as scheduled by the concern banks.

Well, I am sending you this email through the electronic email with reservations, to prove to you that your payment has been release long ago and you do not need much charges to get your transfer completed into your bank account with proves,you have only been ripped and mislead by your former respresentatives whom you thought were assisting you in this regard.

The issue I want to unravel to you is a very classified and sensitive one, it may be very difficult for you to comprehend, but it is certainly the truth. you do not need much charges to completed your transfer of fund into your bank account all the huge fee you are been required in the past is false which represent the Judiciary Court Administrative Processing Charges, you only need a token to get this done but all other charges will be deducted during the process of transfer, this is the normal banking protocol.

If you are ok with this, be advise to make available the your complete data informations for confirmation with what we have in our record as soon as possible for a quick and easy confirmation with the Judiciary here in cotonou, Republic of Benin.

I will then send you the details informations about the transfer of your funds as soon as i received your response with the required details reconfirming your receiving bank account informations and the complete data informations asrequired.

Please Note, direct your response and informations to my official email address only as stated here (info.unitednations-debtpayprogram@africamail.com) only for a quick response.

I wait your urgent response

Yours Sincerely

Mrs. Stella A. Komah
Foreign Payment Coordinator/Adviser
United Nations/West African Debt Payment Program
Cotonou Secretariat, Republic of Benin.
West Africa.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam