419 scam: "DR. PATRICK OKONKWO" <upscourierexpress00@gmail.com> CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP ALERT

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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:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "mtcn" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "hundred thousand united states 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)
- "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
MoneyGram money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. Along with Western Union it is a preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
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.
- dr.patrick.okonkwo1@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "DR. PATRICK OKONKWO" <upscourierexpress00@gmail.com>
Reply-To: dr.patrick.okonkwo1@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2016 17:20:26 -0700
Subject: CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP ALERT

Change of Ownership Alert

Good Morning,

I'm Hon.Dr.Patrick Okonkwo the Chief Director of Finance Officer of the
Ministry of Finance. We wish to urgently confirm from you if actually you
know one Mrs. Cynthia Edward who claims to be your business
associate/partner.Kindly reconfirm this application put in by Mrs. Cynthia
Edward - she submitted the under listed bank account information supposedly
sent by you to receive the funds on your behalf.The bank information she
applied with are stated thus:

Account Name:Edward Mike
Bank name: Citi Bank NA
Bank address: #1230 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107,USA
Account Number: 013439887655
Routing Number: 2771722
Swift Code: CITIUS30

The said Mrs. Cynthia Edward has claimed to this office that you are dead
and have Instructed that all relevant documentation/Information regarding
your Payment/Transfer, be changed to her as the beneficiary of the payment
short-listed among the foreign beneficiaries entitled to receive their
payment.

For your Information, this Government has approved the total amount of TEN
MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY, in your favor,
prior to the Federal Government instructions/mandate to offset all
outstanding payments to the various legal foreign beneficiaries around the
world and your payment file was affected. We need to confirm from you if
it's really true that you are dead as made mention by your Associate.

You should note that, if we do not hear from you, we automatically assume
that you are actually dead and the information passed to us by Mrs. Cynthia
Edward is correct. Hence, you are hereby requested to reply this Email
immediately for confirmation, before we proceed with this payment and for
us to know the true position of things with you so that we won't make any
mistakes/errors in remitting your out-standing payment to a wrong
person/account.

Lastly, you are advice to reply back this email and reconfirm the details
of this message if truly you're alive contact us immediately and bear in
mind that you will pay needed renewal of your payment file fee which is sum
of $100 only in this office and the fees must be pay before them will
release your fund in your account today/tomorrow,

Full name.......................... ..........
Direct telephone number......................
Address....................... ...............
Age........................... ...............
Occupation.................... ...............
Country....................... ...............

Once you notify us with the above information and the needed renewal of
your payment file fee which is sum of $100, we will release your fund
within next 24hour you meet up with the fees and payment should be sent
with the below information through western union money or Money Gram
transfer bellow and we discontinued no C.O.D.

Receiver name_____Jim Ugwu
Country____________Nigeria
Text question_______How long?
Answer_____________Today.
Sender name_______
Amount expected____$100.only
Mtcn _____________

Your quick respond is highly needed.
Reported by Hon.Dr.Patrick Okonkwo Federal Ministry of Finance
dr.patrick.okonkwo1@gmail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam