419 scam: HONESTY PLEASE <cooperate.products@gmail.com> Help Please

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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:
- "million 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)
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.
- +22897093165 (Togo, 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.
- s_mutari@yahoo.com.tw (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: HONESTY PLEASE <cooperate.products@gmail.com>
Reply-To: hchrist47@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 09:18:32 +0100
Subject: Help Please

Hello Dear,

I thank you very much for your kind response. My Name is Mr Nicolas
Kovi, I am one of the officials in the Togo Energy Ministry in West
Africa.We had a contract with Denmark through the Danish Cooperation,
which was signed on the 4th of march, 2010 on the Electrification of
the Urban centres, offices and rural dwellers. The project has been
executed, you can check on the website.

http://www.ecowrex.org

But, the main issue of contacting you is to intimate you that during
the award of this contract, a few of my colleagues and l had inflated
the amount of this contract and the OVER- INVOICED is being
safeguarded under our custody.

However, we have decided to transfer this sum of money, Thirty million
us dollars ($30 million Us Dollars) out of this Country for
disbursement.Hence, we seek for a reliable, honest and not greedy
foreign partner whom we shall use his or her company or private
account for transferring the fund. And we agreed that the account
owner shall benefit 35% of the total amount of the OVER- INVOICED, 55%
is for us here, and 10% will be used for miscellaneous expenses after
the transfer.

If you are capable to handle the transaction without hitches and
flaws, then we have confidence in the business and a risk free
transfer from our side.Please, make it TOP SECRET and avoid every
channel of implicating us here thereby endanger our career.

Therefore, if you will not be able to handle it, please hold on your
peace for our sake we are public servants. I pray to God for his
providence for a smooth transfer, so that our retiring soon or later
will be a better and blissful retirement life, as such we are very
cautious towards actualising this noble venture. It can also be a once
in life opportunity for you, because l know that we are going to see
face-face, preferably come down to Lome-Togo and verify on the claim
on the said amount of money with our payment bank. Besides, to discuss
business and investment in your country at large, and thereafter sit
together to decide on the means of transferring you can write through
my private email (s_mutari@yahoo.com.tw)or call my direct number +228
97 09 31 65.
Waiting for your urgent respond.Please, time is no longer on our side.
Best regards,

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam