419 scam: "Thomas Kohler"<thomaskohler303@un.org> Greetings

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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.
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Thomas Kohler" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <thomaskohler303@yahoo.com.ph>
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 10.38.08 +0200
Subject: Greetings

Greetings,

May God almighty be with you as you receive this message. I am Thomas Kohler, I work with the United Nations, Office of Internal Oversight Services. Our objective is to investigate the legitimacy of financial activities within Banks, Financial institutions and Security houses through our security network thereby fighting against scam and fraudulent activities within. By so doing, directs the paying authorities to make immediate payment of verified claims to the beneficiaries without further delay. I am writing you based on the fact that I want to assist you receive your long overdue payment. I discovered some abnormality in your claims process which prompted me to write you.

After a detailed review of your case file, I found out that your payment has been approved for immediate release to you/your account but some top officials within the financial Institution you are working with has been deliberately delaying your payment. They continue masterminding plans to issue you one fee or the other using different quarters, tax and levies with the intention of diverting your attention and making you believe your fund is coming to you/your account which is false. I can tell you authoritatively that Tax levied on you is false and this is a plan to divert your fund to another account for their selfish interest thereby side lining you.

Note that your fund has been cleared from all financial revocation related activities and I strictly advise you to please maintain topmost secrecy as it may cause a lot of problems which might hinder the successful accomplishment of the transfer of your fund to you if found out that I am using this way to help you. Do not ever tell anybody about this until you have your money. I want to help you because something in me tells me you are an honest person.

As soon as I receive your response message, I will advise you further. Thanks for Your Cooperation.

Yours faithfully,
Thomas Kohler
Tel: +41 71 5880220

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam