Fraud: Ghana Gold Mining Equipment Supply Contract - Chief Account Officer Kwesi

Complete Email

From: k1122@gmail.com
Subject: Business

Email Body

To Future Partner,

Good day, I know this email will come as a surprise, but I need to contact you due to the urgency and confidentiality of this business transaction. I am the Chief Account Officer of Ghana Gold. I have a deal here in my office, and I need a foreign partner to execute it with my colleague and me. We over-invoiced a contract payment valued at US$100 million. We awarded contracts for the supply and maintenance of all the Gold field and mining equipment for the national gold mines to some foreign contractors valued at US$5 billion, which we over-invoiced by US$100 million in addition to the total contract sum.
Most contractors have been paid, and the remaining contractors’ payments are currently being processed for payment. With that, my colleague and I have decided to include you among these remaining contractors to process the sum of US$100 million in your company or in your name to claim it for our mutual benefit. I am now contacting you to present you as the subcontractor who has been awarded the contract for the supply of heavy mining equipment used in the recent overhauling of the refineries and mining sites, with a value of US$100 million.
I will advise you to furnish me with your personal information, including your cell phone number and the name of your company with address, to enable me to register it with our corporate affairs commission in charge of allied and companies registration as an indigenous company.
Any foreign company must be registered in this country. Also, with your acceptance to execute this business with me, I need to be sure of your confidentiality regarding the conclusion of this deal. you will be given 30% of the total amount, while my colleague and I will take 70% once the money gets into your company account in your country. Also, with my position here, I can officially arrange with you to be lifting 140 or 200 Kilograms of gold per month by getting a one-year or two-year Gold allocation contract in your name and company name, whether you are here or not. With this, we can make more money from the Gold lifting here in Ghana. I will detail more on this once I get your response.
Thank you, and hope to hear from you as soon as possible. Send me your cell phone number or Email to call you for more details.

Best Regards

Kwesi

Red Flags

Red Flags Identified in the Email:

1. Classic Advance Fee Fraud (419 Scam)

• Over-Invoicing Scheme: The email describes a fraudulent over-invoicing scheme involving US$100 million, which is a common premise used in advance fee fraud scams. The sender claims to be offering you a share of stolen money, which is both illegal and fictitious.
• Unsolicited Partnership: You are being offered a large sum of money (30% of $100 million = $30 million) from a complete stranger without any prior business relationship or legitimate reason.

2. Suspicious Sender Information

• Generic Email Address: The sender uses k1122@gmail.com, which is a generic Gmail address with no connection to any official government or corporate entity in Ghana.
• Vague Identity: The sender only provides the first name "Kwesi" and claims to be a "Chief Account Officer of Ghana Gold" without providing any verifiable credentials, official contact information, or company details.
• No Official Letterhead: Legitimate government or corporate communications would include official letterhead, contact information, and proper identification.

3. Unrealistic Financial Claims

• Massive Contract Value: The claim of a US$5 billion contract for mining equipment with a US$100 million over-invoice is unrealistic and designed to seem impressive to potential victims.
• Gold Lifting Offer: The additional offer to arrange "140 or 200 Kilograms of gold per month" is completely fabricated and designed to make the scam seem more attractive.
• Percentage Split: The specific percentage split (30% to you, 70% to them) is a common tactic in 419 scams to make the offer seem "reasonable" and pre-negotiated.

4. Requests for Personal Information

• Personal Details Required: The scammer requests your personal information, cell phone number, company name, and address, which would be used for identity theft or to make the scam more convincing in future communications.
• Company Registration Scam: The mention of registering your company with their "corporate affairs commission" is a setup for future requests for registration fees or other payments.

5. Emphasis on Confidentiality and Urgency

• Confidentiality Requirements: The emphasis on confidentiality is designed to prevent victims from consulting with others who might recognize the scam.
• Urgency Tactic: The email mentions "urgency" to pressure you into responding quickly without proper consideration.

6. Poor Language and Grammar

• Grammatical Errors: The email contains numerous grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as "due to the urgency and confidentiality of this business transaction" and inconsistent capitalization.
• Unprofessional Tone: The informal greeting "Good day" and overall casual tone are inappropriate for a legitimate high-value business transaction.

7. Illegal Activity Admission

• Admitted Fraud: The sender openly admits to over-invoicing contracts and engaging in fraudulent activities, which no legitimate business person would do in writing.
• Money Laundering Scheme: The entire premise involves laundering money through your account, which would make you complicit in criminal activity.

8. No Verification Possible

• Unverifiable Claims: There is no way to verify the existence of "Ghana Gold" as described, or the sender's position within such an organization.
• No Official Channels: Legitimate government contracts would go through official procurement channels, not unsolicited emails to random recipients.

How This Scam Typically Progresses:

1. Initial Contact: You receive this email claiming a lucrative opportunity
2. Personal Information Harvest: If you respond, they collect your personal and company details
3. Documentation Phase: They send fake contracts and official-looking documents
4. Fee Requests: Eventually, they request payments for:
   • Registration fees
   • Legal documentation
   • Government permits
   • Banking charges
   • Customs clearance
   • Tax payments
5. Escalation: Fees continue to increase with new "unexpected" complications
6. Disappearance: After extracting money, the scammers disappear completely

Recommendations:

1. Do Not Respond: Never reply to this email or provide any personal information
2. Delete Immediately: Delete the email and mark it as spam/phishing
3. Report the Scam: Report to:
   • Your local authorities
   • The FBI's IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center) if in the US
   • Anti-fraud agencies in your country
4. Warn Others: Share information about this scam type with friends and colleagues
5. Verify Independently: If you ever receive legitimate-seeming business offers, always verify through official channels
6. Never Send Money: Never send money, fees, or provide banking details in response to unsolicited emails

Conclusion:

This email is a classic example of an advance fee fraud (419 scam) specifically targeting individuals with promises of large sums of money from fictitious gold mining contracts in Ghana. The sender is attempting to steal your personal information and will eventually request advance payments for various fake fees. This is a well-known scam pattern that has defrauded thousands of people worldwide. Always be extremely suspicious of unsolicited emails offering large sums of money, especially those involving foreign business deals, over-invoiced contracts, or any scheme requiring advance payments or personal information.