419 scam: Kokouvi Mensah <dimplemshah@youtele.com> GOOD-DAY TO YOU.

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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "my direct line" (a "direct line" in a scam usually means an untraceable mobile phone number used by a scammer in an internet cafe, a redirection service number that forwards to a mobile or a free voicemailbox in a different country.)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "dormant account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "lome togo" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
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.
- +2280877617 (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.
- kokouvimensah01@yahoo.com.sg (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Kokouvi Mensah <dimplemshah@youtele.com>
Reply-To: kokouvimensah01@yahoo.com.sg
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:36:15 +0530
Subject: GOOD-DAY TO YOU.

GOOD-DAY TO YOU.
FROM THE DESK OF MR KOKOUVI MENSAH.
AUDITOR GENERAL UNION TOGOLAISE
BANK LOME TOGO.
TELEPHONE +228 0877 617.
E-MAIL:kokouvimensah01@yahoo.com.sg

Dear,

Before I proceed, I must first apologize for this unsolicited letter to you
okay. It is obvious that this proposal will come to you as a surprise, coupled
with the fact that so many miscreants have taken possession of the Internet to
facilitate their nefarious deeds, hereby making it extremely difficult for
genuine purposes. However, let me introduce myself to you. I am Mr Kokouvi
Mensah, an Auditor general to Union Togolaise Bank ( UTB ) Lome Togo.
I am doing
this in connection with Barrister Fred Hyginus an attorney at law.

Contacting you is however not mandatory nor will I in any manner compel you to
Honor against your will Okay. I am 56, and I work with a bank like i earlier
stated (one of the African leading banks in the West Coast). Here in this bank
exist a dormant account for the past 5 years which belong to one Mr A. Bauer,
who died in a car accident years ago. During the last quoter of 2009 annual
auditing I discovered that there has been no deposits nor withdrawals
from this
account for this long period, I decided to carry out a systematic
investigation
during which i contacted Barrister Fred Hyginus who is the personal
attorney to
the deceased. The attorney told me that he has done all that he could
to locate
any member of the deceased family but all efforts and attempts to do that
failed, this is the story in a nutshell.

Now we want an account overseas where the bank will transfer this fund.
Thereafter, we have planned to destroy all related documents for this account
after the transfer. It is a careful network the attorney to the deceased have
all related documents to this fund as it was all kept in his custody for safe
keeping, besides we have worked out everything to ensure a hitch-free
operation.
The amount is not so much at the moment and plus all the accumulated interest
the balance in this account stands at-(US$ 8.5 million US dollars).

Now our questions are:-

1. Can you handle this project?
2. Can we give you the trust?
3. What will be your commission? If you can handle and sponsor this transfer.

Consider this and get back to me as soon as possible. Finally, it is my humble
prayer that the information's as contained herein be accorded the necessary
attention, urgency as well as the secrecy it deserves. I Expect your urgent
response if you can handle this project. Call me on my direct line
+228 0877617,
please to get through dial the numbers as shown completely. Send your response
to kokouvimensah01@yahoo.com.sg for more details.

Respectfully yours,
Mr.Kokouvi Mensah.
+2280877617.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam