419 scam: "western union customer care"<customercare49@gala.net> Your (5000 usd) Mtcn available to pick up 5930376889

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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.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "fund beneficiary" (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)
- "international remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "customercare44@gala.net" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
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.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +22998322873 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "western union customer care" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <customercare44@gala.net>
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2010 01:59:08 -0000
Subject: Your (5000 usd) Mtcn available to pick up 5930376889

From The Desk Of Mr. David Cox.
Director Western Union Office,
International Remittance Department.
Cotonou - Benin Republic.

Attn Fund Beneficiary,

I hope this mail finds you in good health and in good spirit.

I am Mr. David Cox, I was transferred from the Barclays Bank Head office in London High Street branch to Solidarite Bank of Benin and I was newly elected as the Director of Operations in Fund Release Dept in the Solidarite bank Western Union Money Transfer Services Ghana/Togo West Africa due to the huge amount of foreigners funds that is with-hold in the Western Union Money Transfer Services Benin and Togo Republic.

When I resumed office inside the bank this week, on my researching of foreign beneficiary fund's which is abandoned in our system by the ex-Director of Operations that was in charge in Fund Release Dept in Solidarire bank and others bank Western Union Money Transfer Services, I found out that your $700,000:00 USDollar is pending here in our data base computer. That is why I have to write you urgent about your funds which I newly discovered in our system here today.

The Western Union in Benin Republic has limited transfer rate because of International communities and Ant-Terrorist/Drug Law so, we are permitted to transfer $10,000:00 in parts of $5,000 each daily until your total payment is completed. In other words, We have today transferred your first instalment payment available for your pickup at any western union office nearest to you, but still on-hold due to the unpaid endorsement & activation file fee amount of $75 only.

You are required to contact the payment office with your full information as requested below:

YOUR FULL NAME:____________________

YOUR COUNTRY:______________________

YOUR CITY:___________________________

YOUR PHONE NUMBER:________________

YOUR ADDRESS:______________________

YOUR AGE:___________________________

YOUR SEX:___________________________

ID CARD NO:__________________________

You will pick-up the bellow instalment payment at any western union office nearest to you with bellow information's as soon as you send the $75 endorsement & daily activation file fee. You can to track your first instalment payment online at www.westernunion.com for your record purpose. The Payment MTCN is available for your tracking and confirmation on our official Website:

Sender's Name:..........Peter Oba
Control-MTCN:................5930376889
Amount sent:......................$5000.00

Track your payment online from:

https://wumt.westernunion.com/asp/orderStatus.asp?country=global

We shall release to you, the Text Question and Text Answer upon the receipt of the official charges which will authenticate the legitimacy of your fund to you. Please do not border to go for picking up the money without the payment of the required $75 endorsement & activation file fee because the funds is on still on-hold and you cannot pick up the money.

The complete information will be FIX INTO THE SYSTEM and released to you immediately after your transfer slip is endorse from the office of the Commissioner of Finance, Benin (CFB). This is the reason you are ask for the $75 DOLLARS upfront to get your transfer slip endorsed. You have to send the fee $75 to the cashiers name below.

RECEIVER NAME: ARINZE C.OKEYIKA
LOCATION: COTONOU, BENIN REPUBLIC.
AMOUNT: $75 USD
TEXT QUESTION: IN GOD
TEXT ANSWER: WE TRUST.

Confirm the MTCN #, Sender name/ Country, Text Question/ Answer to this office.

NB: In my next mail I will send you, your western union deposit slip document for confirmation of the existence of the fund and collection by you.

We await your prompt response to: customercare44@gala.net

Regard,

Ian Bowen.
Foreign remittance officer
TELEPHONE: +229 983-22-873
WebSite: www.westernunion.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam