419 scam: WESTERN UNION <westernuion6@msn.com> YOUR URGENT RESPOND IS HIGHLY NEEDED .

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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:
- "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. )
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
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.
- +22964378223 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: WESTERN UNION <westernuion6@msn.com>
Reply-To: <westernnuion11@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:58:58 +0000
Subject: YOUR URGENT RESPOND IS HIGHLY NEEDED .

FROM OFFICE OF THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
COTONOU BENIN
REPUBLIC/ADDRESS 455 AGBOKOU,ANKPA ROAD
OPPOSITE
TUNED MOTORS COTONOU.
WEB SITE.www.westernunion.com http://site.www.westernunion.com/

ATTN;BENEFICIARY:
,

WE ARE INSTRUCTED TO SEND YOUR FUND TO YOUR ADDRESS IN YOUR
CITY FROM THE FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT HERE IN BENIN
REPUBLIC.YOU WILL BE RECEIVING YOUR FUND ( $5000 U.S.D ) PER DAY AND YOU WILL
RECEIVE THE TOTAL SUM OF $850.000.00 WITHIN 180 DAYS.

YOU ARE REQUIRE TO
SEND US OUR TRANSFER CHARGES THE SUM OF $75 USD FOR THE $5000 THAT WE HAVE
ALREADY SEND, MEANWHILE SEND THE $75 USD TO US IMMEDIATELY TODAY FOR FASTER
SENDING OF YOUR FUND CORRECTLY BY TOMORROW MORNING.

AFTER THE MONEY HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED CORRECTLY TO YOUR
ADDRESS WE WILL MAIL YOU THE PAYMENT INFORMATION'S YOU NEED TO PICK UP YOUR
MONEY IN ANY WESTERN UNION AROUND YOU CORRECTLY BECAUSE THE ONE THAT IS HERE IS
NOT CORRECT BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED OUR $75 ONLY.

REASON WHY WE NEED YOU TO SEND US THE $75 USD IS THAT WE TRIED
TO DEDUCT THE TRANSFERRING FEE OUT FROM YOUR FUND BUT THE MINISTER ADMINISTRATOR
TRUST FUND OF BENIN REPUBLIC TOLD US THAT NO ONE HAS RIGHT OVER YOUR FUND AS IT
HAVE BEEN SIGNED AND STAMPED THAT NO MONEY SHOULD BE DEDUCTED UNTIL IT GETS TO
YOUR HANDS TO AVOID STEALING SOME OF THE FUNDS.

HERE IS THE ONE WE SEND TO YOU BUT IT WILL REMAIN ON HELD UNTIL YOU
SEND US OUR TRANSFER CHARGES OF $75 BEFORE WE CAN REALIST IT MEANWHILE YOU WILL
TRACK IT AND CONFIRM THE MTCN BY

WWW.WESTERNUNION.COM
Sender Name : Lois
Caron
MTCN :
595-093-1911
Amount------------------------$5,000,00,
http://www.westernunion.com/info/selectCountry.asp

FINALLY
URGENT SEND US THE $75 USD TO ENABLE US PROCEED ON YOUR PAYMENT IMMEDIATELY
RIGHT.

BELOW IS OUR ACCOUNT'S INFORMATION FOR YOU TO SEND THE $75 USD
THROUGH WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER BEEN OUR TRANSFERRING CHARGE FOR YOUR
$5000.00 USD.

1.RECEIVER NAME:..............
MR PETER EKWEALOR
2.COUNTRY:.......... Republic of
Benin .
3.CITY :...............
Porto-novo.
4.TEST QUESTION:.............
A.
5.TEST ANSWER:...... B.
6.AMOUNT:..............$75,
USD.

YOUR URGENT RESPOND IS HIGHLY NEEDED .

WAITING TO HEAR FROM
YOU SOON AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE TO QUICKEN THE
PROCESS.

REGARDS
MR. TONY MAGABUSH
TELL PHONE +229-6437-8223
FOREIGN OPERATION MANAGER
WESTERN UNION OFFICE BENIN
REPUBLIC

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam