419 scam: "From Mr Koffi ADJEI."<admin@crscal.com> Dear Friend,Strictly Confidential

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "search for a reliable person" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "(ecowas)" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "liberia" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "From Mr Koffi ADJEI." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <koffiadjei4@live.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:53:05 -0800
Subject: Dear Friend,Strictly Confidential

Dear Friend ,

I am Mr Koffi ADJEI, the chairman, contract award and tender committee of Economic community of west African States (ECOWAS)with sub-head in Accra Ghana.because international communities AND United State President Barrack Obama when he visited us here.they have tested this country politically ok.and they have approve this country to handle this project under West Afirican Region. I got your contact during my search for a reliable person to entrust this huge money transfer project with. My colleagues and I involved in this project have Agreed to seek your mutual partnership into this huge Money transfer project ($15.8 usd). We wish to transfer this money to your personal or company Account.

This fund originated from over invoiced Contract bills awarded by us for the supply of pharmaceutical and Medical equipment to the ECOMOG Peacekeeping Mission In Liberia and Sierra-Leone civil wars. This over invoiced sum was deliberately hatched out and Carefully protected. with all attendant lope holes Sealed off.The original executors of the contracts have been Duely paid through International Commercial Bank Takoradi Ghana (I.C.B Bank) This over invoiced sum is suspended in an escrow account awaiting claims by any foreign person/company we may front you as the owner. Based On the law and ethics of our service to ECOWAS, we as Civil servants are not allowed to operate a foreign Account.

You are offered 30% of the total sum as commission,60% will be held on trust for us. The project is expected to be completed within 14 days if you accord us maximum co-operation. We solicit for your unreserved confidentiality in this project. There is no risk involved.Call me upon the receipt of this mail for more details on the procedure via ..

Sicerely yours,
Mr Koffi ADJEI.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam