419 scam: "UNITED NATIONS"<noreply@un.org> UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF INTERNAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES

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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:
- "clearance fee" (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. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- +27737184450 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- c_lapointe51@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "UNITED NATIONS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mscarman_lapointe51@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2012 03:14:19 -0000
Subject: UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF INTERNAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF INTERNAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES
Internal Audit, Monitoring,Consulting and Investigations Division

From: Ms. Carman L. Lapointe
Head Of United Nations Under-Secretary-
General For Internal Oversight Services

To: Unpaid Beneficiary,

This is to inform you that I came to South Africa yesterday from Canada, after series of complaint from the FBI and other Security agencies from Asia, Europe, South America and the United States of America respectively, against the South Africa Government and the British Government for the high volume of fraudulent activities that are on in these two nations. For more information about me kindly click on the below link or copy and paste on your web browser.

http://www.un.org/Depts/oios/pages/usg.html

Right now, as directed by UN secretary General named Ban Ki-Moon we are working in collaborations with the Special Investigations Unit and we have decided to waive away all your clearance fees/Charges and authorized the Government of South Africa to effect your overdue payment worth $10.5M into your account without any delay as approved and instructed by CANADIAN government and UNITED NATIONS.

Please note that the only fee you will pay to receive your fund, is the Notarization fee. Upon your response to this e-mail, I shall tell you the amount you will pay and our cashier's information, so as to enable you remit the Notarization fee without any further delay.

Sincerely, you are a lucky person because I have just discovered that some top South African and Canadian Government Officials are interested in your fund and they are working in collaboration with One Mr. Richard Graves from USA to frustrate you and thereafter divert your fund into their personal account.

Note that I have a very limited time to stay in South Africa here, so I would like you to urgently respond to this message with your full name, full address, direct phone number. So that I can advise you on how best to confirm your fund in your account within the next 72 hours.

You can reach me with the below information:

Email Address: c_lapointe51@yahoo.com.hk
Cell Phone: +27737184450

Sincerely yours,
Ms. Carman L.Lapointe
Head Of United Nations Under-Secretary
General For Internal Oversight Services

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam