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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:

Fraud email example:

From: Western Union <geonali1051@verizon.net>
Reply-To: western_union229@sify.com
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:51:50 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re : MTCN::::2891221707



WESTERN UNION  HEAD OFFICE DEPARTMENT
REPUBLIC OF BENIN.
FOREGN CONTRACTOR PAYMENT OFFICE
TELEPHONE +229-99375413






WEB SITE.www.westernunion.com  http://site.www.westernunion.com/
 
 
 
ATTENETION: BENEFICARY,
 
GOOD DAY MY DEAR,MAY THE ALMIGHT  FATHER BLESS YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORT AND PRAYER CONCERN ME. I JUST RETURNED FROM HOSPITAL YESTERDAY MORNING. THOUGH I WAS NOT TOO WELL BUT I HAVE TO REQUEST FOR A DESCHARGE  AS I KNOW THAT GOD  ALMIGHT  FATHER WILL HEAL THE REST,
 
I AM PLEADING TO YOU IN THE NAME OF GOD BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN A WHILE NOW  THAT WE DID NOT COMMUNICATE, I HOPE  THAT THINGS IS MOVING NORMAL? HOWEVER I DECIDE TO WRITE YOU AND VERIFY IF YOU HAVE RAISE THE $65.00 WHICH I TOLD YOU TO PAY  BEFORE LEFT  TO HOSPITAL SO THAT WE CAN COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT WE HAVE AT HAND.NOW TELL ME, HAVE YOU RAISED THE $65.00 IF YES PLEASE SEND IT IMMEDIATELY SO THAT MY EFFORT WILL BEEN COMPLETED.
 
I TRIED TO CALL YOU DURING MY STAY IN THE HOSPITAL BUT I CAN SEE THAT YOU PHONE IS HAVING PROBLEM. PLEASE  MAKE SURE YOU WILL SEND THE MONEY FOR THE TRANSFER CHARGE  BECAUSE  YOUR PAYMENT IS  ALREADY AVALIABLE TO PICK UP NOW  TO YOU AND IT WILL START BY TOMORROW MORNING ONCE YOU SEND THE TRANSFER CHARGE TODAY.
 
I BELIEVE YOU KNOWS THAT THE NEEDED AMOUNT IS $165.00 BUT I ADVISE YOU TO SEND ONLY $65.00 THEN RETURN BALANCE OF $100.00 AFTER YOU RECEIVE  FIRST PAYMENT OF $1,250.00 DOLLARS  BY TOMORROW BUT  PLEASE DON'T DELAY BY SENDING THIS $65.00 TODAY BECAUSE  WE ALREADY POST YOUR FIRST PAYMENT TODAY AND AS SOON AS WE RECEIVE THE $65.00 FOR TRANSFER FEE  WE WILL RELEASE THE FULL INFORMATIONS FOR YOU TO PICK UP $1,250.00 BY TOMORROW MORNING BEFORE 11 AM OUR TIME FROM ANY WESTERN UNION IN  YOUR COUNTRY WITHOUT ANY DELAY AND WE WILL ALSO GIVE  ANOTHER PAYMENT BY  NEXT TOMORROW.
 
I SWEAR TO GOD ALMIGHT THAT $65.00 IS FOR TRANSFER CHARGE AND ONLY MONEY THAT YOU HAVE TO SEND TILL YOU RECEIVE ALL YOUR PAYMENTS BEFORE YOU CAN PAY THE REMAIN BALANCE OF $100.00 BUT DON'T DELAY BY SEND THE $65.00 TODAY BECAUSE THE PAYMENT WILL START AS FROM TOMORROW  MORNING BEFORE 11 AM OUR TIME ,
 
SEND IT THROUGH WESTERN UNION WITH THIS INFORMATIONS BELOW:
 
1. RECEIVER NAME======= OKOLO SAMUEL   
2. CITY/COUNTRY=======COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC.
3. QUESTION===========IN GOD
4. ANSWER============WE TURST
5. AMOUNT============US$65.00

AS SOON AS YOU MAKE THE PAYMENTR PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL WITH THE WESTERN UNION PAYMENT INFORMATIONS SO THAT WE CAN PICK UP THE MONEY IMMEDIATELY AND GIVE YOU THE INFORMATIONS TO PICK UP YOUR $1,250.00 IMMEDIATE LY .
 
BE REST ASSURED THAT $65.00 IS FOR  TRANSFER FEE AND IS ONLY MONEY THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY AS FOR NOW TILL YOU RECEIVE  ALL THE PAYMENTS THEN YOU CAN RETURN THE REMAIN BALANCE OF $100.000 OKAY SO GO AHEAD NOW TO MAKE THE PAYMENT IMMEDIATELY THROUGH WESTERN UNION,
 
AFTER SENDING THE $65.00 PLEASE GIVE US 2HOURS AHEAD  TO YOUR FIRST PAYMENT THROUGH WESTERN UNION OKAY.

I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HEAR FROM YOU ONCE YOU RECEIVE THIS MAIL WITH THE PAYMENT INFORMATIONS OK,
 
MAY THE ALMIGHTY  FATHER BLESS YOU.

 
DR JAMES S IBORI.
WESTERN UNION  HEAD OFFICE DEPARTMENT

REPUBLIC OF BENIN.
FOREGN CONTRACTOR PAYMENT OFFICE
THIS IS OUR CONDUCT CODE ( 303)
 
 
 
 

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