419 scam: Centeral Bank <office.backup58@gmail.com> (ECOWAS) is now paying 150 victims

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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:
- "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing 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.
- hdeanjson@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: Centeral Bank <office.backup58@gmail.com>
Reply-To: jerkin_1update@yahoo.de
Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2011 20:36:52 +0100 (BST)
Subject: (ECOWAS) is now paying 150 victims

Attention Recieptant:

This is to bring to your notice that i am delegated from the United Nations To
all Central Banks in Africa to pay 150 scam victims $750,000.00 (SEVEN HUNDRED
AND FIFTY THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS)each.You are enlisted and approved for
this payment as one of the scammed victims to be paid this amount.You should
get back to Honorable Johnson Dean,as soon as possible for the immediate
payment of your $750,000.00 compensation fund.On this faithful recommendations,we
want you to know that during the last U.N. meeting held at the United Nation
Head Quarter in New York in the United States of America it was alarming on the
rate people have lost their hard earned money in the hands of fraudsters and
scammers that are operating in syndicates all over the world today.

In other to compensate victims,the U.N Body in conjunction with the Economic
community of West African states (ECOWAS) is now paying 150 victims the sum of
(SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) $750,000.00 each in
accordance with the U.N. recommendations. Due to the corrupt and inefficient
Banking Systems in Africa, the payments are to be supervised by the United
Nations' Official, Dr.William Coenen. According to the number of applicants at
hand, 114 Beneficiaries has been paid, half of the victims are from the United
States. We still have more 36 left to be paid.

Your particulars was mentioned by one of the Syndicates who was arrested as one
of their victims of the operations. You are hereby warned not to communicate or
duplicate this message to him for any reason what so ever as the U.S. secret
service is already on trace of the other criminals. Other victims who have not
been contacted can submit their application as well for scrutiny and possible
consideration.

You are hereby advised to contact the private client officer in charge through
the following information. Name:(Honorable Johnson Dean) E-mail
(hdeanjson@gmail.com) you will receive your compensation payment through,CASH
DELIVERY SERVICES or through Automated Teller Machine (ATM PAYMENT SYSTEM)
only.This is for your information and you will be detailed with further
modalities as you contact "Honorable Johnson Dean .

Yours Faithfully,

Dr.Coenen William frank.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam