419 scam: MONEY GRAM PAYMENT CENTER <moneygram-paycenter@live.com> PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS!

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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:
- "atm payment department" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
- "moneygram" (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. )
- "you are required to pay " (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. )
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "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)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "moneygram.paycenter@live.com" (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.
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 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.
- +22998425479 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: MONEY GRAM PAYMENT CENTER <moneygram-paycenter@live.com>
Reply-To: moneygram.paycenter@live.com
Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2011 15:12:53 +0100 (BST)
Subject: PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS!

Welcome

FOREIGN OPERATION
MANAGER MONEY
GRAM INT'L.
OFFICE BENIN
REPUBLIC
LOCATION. RUE BPH141 KINGSTON AVENUE
COTONOU BENIN.
REF: MT89TQ
CONTACT
PERSON MR.DAMION UWA
PHONE
+229-98425479
OUR
CONTACT EMAIL: moneygram.paycenter@live.com

GOOD DAY TO
YOU DEAR FUND BENEFICIARY, I AM EMAILING YOU SEQUEL TO YOUR E-MAIL,I WANT YOU
TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT TRYING TO OFFENDED YOU IN ANYWHERE, BUT ONLY TO
MAKE SURE THAT YOU FOLLOW THE NORMAL PROCESS IN GETTING YOUR INHERITANCE
PAYMENT THROUGH OUR OFFICE AS YOU MUST KNOW THAT I AM A MONEYGRAM AGENTS AND
ALSO THE GOVERNMENT INC.COMPANY. AWARDED YOU THAT YOUR TOTAL SUM OF 900,000.00
USD WHICH INSTRUCTED IN THIS OFFICE TO BE PAID TO YOU THROUGH ATM CARD
,BUT WE CAN NO LONGER COMPLETE THE PAYMENT THROUGH ATM CARD DUE TO THE PROBLEM
OUR ATM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT IS HAVING WITH WORLD BANK SO YOUR PAYMENT WAS MOVED
TO OUR CUSTODY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO YOU VIA MONEYGRAM.

NOTE:YOU ARE
REQUIRED TO PAY THE SUM OF $93 USD BEFORE THIS MONEY
GRAM OPERATING BRANCH CAN COMMENCE RECONFIRM YOUR PAYMENT
FILE AND IT WILL SERVE AS THE COST OF SIGNING YOUR PAYMENT FILE TO ENABLE US BE
ABLE TO SEND YOUR INHERITANCE PAYMENT OF $9,500.00 USD DAILY AS IT IS ALLOWED TO
SEND ONLY $9,500.00 ONCE PER DAY,YOU ARE HEREBY INSTRUCT TO GET BACK TO THIS
NOBLE OFFICE WITH THE REQUIRED FEE.I AM
TRUST WORTHY TO NOTIFY YOU THAT YOUR FIRST PAYMENT MUST DEFINITELY GET TO YOUR
HANDS AS SOON YOU SEND THE (USD$93) TODAY.

YOU ARE TO ANSWER THIS
LITTLE TEXT TO CONFIRM THAT WE ARE HANDLING YOUR INHERITANCE PAYMENT ACCORDING
TO THE RIGHT DIRECTION.PLEASE YOU ARE EXPECTING TO REPLY BACK TO THIS MONEYGRAM
OFFICE SO THAT WE PROCEED AHEAD AND COMMENCE YOUR PAYMENT ONCE YOU RECONFIRM
YOUR PERSONAL FILE AS LISTED BELOW AND SEND THE REQUESTED FEE OF $93USD TODAY
WITH THE INSTRUCTION BELOW.

FULL
NAME.......................
PHONE......................... ........
HOME
ADDRESS..............
COUNTRY.......................
...
CITY.......................... ..........
SECRET
QUESTION.......
ANSWER........................ ....

USE THE
INFORMATION BELOW TO SEND THE MANDATORY REQUIRE FEE TOTAL SUM OF $93.00 VIA
MONEYGRAM TO ENABLE US PICK IT FROM OUR DEPARTMENT HERE AND RECONFIRM YOUR
PAYMENT FILE APPROVAL FROM THE FEDERAL MINISTRY
OF FINANCE AND COMMERCE YOUR DAILY PAYMENT OF
$9,500.00 TO YOU.

RECEIVER NAME::::::::::::OKECHUKWU O.
EMMANUEL
COUNTRY::::::::::::::::::::: BENIN
REPUBLIC.
CITY::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::COTONOU.
AMOUNT:::::::::::::::::::::::$ 93. 00 USD.

AS SOON AS YOU
RECEIVED THIS EMAIL KINDLY COMPLY WITH THIS INSTRUCTIONS AND BE REST ASSURE THAT
YOUR PAYMENT WILL COMMERCE IMMEDIATELY BY THIS OFFICE ONCE WE CONCLUDE
RECONFIRMING YOUR PAYMENT FILE FROM THE RIGHT OFFICE,WE ARE HERE TO PROTECT THE
INTEGRITY AND IMAGE OF THIS MONEYGRAM YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT DELAYING CAN BE
VERY DANGEROUS AND MAY COURSE YOU MISFORTUNE IN RECEIVING YOUR FUND,YOU DO NOT
HAVE TO WAIT ANY LONGER .SINCE THIS OFFICE IS MAKING ALL NECESSARY ARRANGEMENT
TO BE SURE THAT YOUR PAYMENT IS BEEN COMMENCE ONCE WE CONFIRM THE REQUESTED
PAYMENT AND INFORMATION.

YOU SHOULD GO AHEAD TO SEND US THAT REQUIRED
(93.00 USD) AND BE REST ASSURED THAT WITHIN 24 HOURS YOUR MONEY WILL BE CONFIRM
TO YOUR ADDRESS AND YOU WILL CASH IT FROM ANY OF OUR CORRESPONDENT MONEYGRAM
BRANCH THERE IN YOUR COUNTRY BE REST ASSURE OF THIS MONEYGRAM OFFICE INTEGRITY
AND PERSONAL INTEGRITY.

URGENT RESPOND NEEDED FROM
YOU.

THANKS FOR YOUR
PATRONAGE,
YOURS
SINCERELY,
MR.DAMION
UWA
+229-98425479
FOREIGN OPERATION
MANAGER
MONEY GRAM OFFICE BENIN
REPUBLIC

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam