419 scam: Yours sincerely <kosimensah19@gmail.com> Dear good Friend

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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)
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.
- kosimensah233@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Yours sincerely <kosimensah19@gmail.com>
Reply-To: kosimensah233@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 5 May 2014 16:18:33 +0100
Subject: Dear good Friend

Dear good Friend,

I know this may come as surprise and skeptic to you. My Name is
Mr.Kosi Mensah; I am one of the officials in the Energy
management board in Togo, West Africa. We had a contract with Denmark
through the Togolese Danish Cooperation, which was signed on the 4th
of March, 2008 on the Electrification of the urban centers, offices
and rural dwellers. The project has been executed. 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 ($30million 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
account for transferring the fund. And we agreed that the account
owner shall benefit 30% of the total amount of money, 65% is for us
here, and 5% will be used for miscellaneous expenses during 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, 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
actualizing 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 in the bank. Besides, to discuss business
and investment in your country at large, and thereafter sit together
to decide on the means of transferring. Contact me urgently via
(kosimensah233@yahoo.com)

Waiting for your urgent respond.
Please, time is no longer on our side.
Best regards,
Mr Kosi Mensah

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam