419 scam: "Afghan Government Official"<info@afghan.org> Our Ref:AGO/IRU/SFE/15.5/WD/011

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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "diplomatic delivery"
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "diplomatic delivery" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
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.
- katecole20020@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Afghan Government Official" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <rogoni0000@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2022 10:06:17 -0000
Subject: Our Ref:AGO/IRU/SFE/15.5/WD/011

Peace be unto you.

Myself, Kate Asal Cole, from Afghanistan, a politician and government

official working with the ministry of finance before the Talibans took

control of Afghanistan.

I plead for your help to receive and secure my luggage in your country.

I want to send out my digital safe box containing my life savings, Ten

million six hundred thousand dollars and some of my very important

documents through diplomatic delivery from Afghanistan to your country

for security reasons and for investment in your country.

Unfortunately, I cannot send the money through the bank because the

Talibans have taken control of all the institutions in afghanistan. We

are under imminent threat from massacres and targeted executions of

government officials since the Talibans returned to power in our

country and I have been in hiding to avoid the risk of deadly

reprisals by the Talibans as I wait for paperwork to evacuate with my

family.

I hope to hear from you through email [ katecole20020@gmail.com ] for

my safety because the Talibans are tracking calls to find out our

exact location in Kabul. For the delivery to your country, please send

me your full name, address and telephone number.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kate Asal Cole.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam