419 scam: "WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER"<info@mail.com> Greetings Of The Year

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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. )
- "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)
- "westernpayunit1@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.
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.
- +2348070740399 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <westernpayunit1@live.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2011 12:57:45 -0000
Subject: Greetings Of The Year

How are you doing today?

I write to inform you that we have already sent you $5000.00 US Dollars
through Western union as we have been given the mandate to transfer your
full benefited sum of $100,000.00USD starting from 03/12/2011 to the 28-01-2012 via our office here (Western Union) by the United nations in conjunction with the Nigeria Government as a compensation to those who have victim of scam mails from Nigeria.
I called to give you the information through phone as internet hackers
were many but I cannot reach you yesterday even this morning. So, I
decided to email you the MTCN and sender name so that can pick up this
$5000.00 USD to enable us send another $5000.00USD by tomorrow as you
knows we will be sending you only $5000.00USD per day.

The money is available for pick up but when track will show pickup and cannot be cash due to security reasons, which was deposited for transfer to you by one Mr. Victor Perez from United nations in conjunction with the Nigeria Government as a compensation payment of all scam victim, the money is available, for pick up by receiver (you) but you can not be pay the money due to its restriction from our head office in UK, which was a security measure because the money has been in the air for 18 days now and maybe in danger, hence the MTCN has to be reactivated to enable you cash out the money in any western union office in your area, the reactivation of the MTCN will cost you a token of $490 US Dollars, once this is paid, our head office will release the fund on hold to enable you cash it. To be sure of this is real please log on to www.westernunion.com and click on track to check the status of the money.

MTCN: 1307512991
Sender's Fist name: crisostomo ines
Sender's Last Name: ibarra
Question:When
Answer: Now
Amount: $5,000.00USD

With due respect please get back to us urgently after tracking the money
online so that we can provide you on how to send the $490USD to us for the
reactivation of the MTCN.

Thanks
Best Regards
Mr.Jerry Harry
Email:westernpayunit1@live.com
Phone: +2348070740399
Western Union® Money Transfer

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam