419 scam: " Mrs. Monica Maldonado" <tech@yardgem.com.tr> WESTERN UNION PICK UP..

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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)
- "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "westernunionpick1@yahoo.cn" (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.
- +2348078311512 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: " Mrs. Monica Maldonado" <tech@yardgem.com.tr>
Reply-To: <westernunionpick1@yahoo.cn>
Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2012 04:28:18 -0400
Subject: WESTERN UNION PICK UP..

Western Union Head Office Department United States
Foreign Contractor Payment Office.
Website: www.westernunion.com

Attention,

I am Monica Maldonado, I am the western union managing director here in the U.S.A and we hereby inform you that after our official verification perusal we have obtain facts that you are the beneficiary of the fund Two Thousand United State Dollars deposited in West Africa by the ministry of finance of the federal republic of Nigeria through fund vault WTU/238308/93 from United Nation, since this fund was given by the Paris Club International in your name we never heard from you till now, we want to use this opportunity to congratulate you once again for this immensely donation given to you by the Paris Club International. You won $200,000.00 dollars.

Please you are advice to go through this e-mail carefully and make sure you understand and comply with the contents before replying. We are instructed by Federal Government of Nigeria to transfer your fund to you via our installment transfer through our service (Western Union Money Transfer) so therefore you will be receiving $5,000.00 dollars daily until the successful installment transfer of your total fund of Two Thousand United State Dollars ($200.000.00 USD) complete. Meaning that you will be receiving $5,000 dollars till the next Fourty days which is the number of days required for you to receive your total fund of Two Thousand United State Dollars.

Meanwhile you are required to send them the re-new payment file which is $150 dollars for the $5000 that they have already transferred to you but cannot be pick because it was place on hold by their management. Reason, because they intend to deduct the transferring fee out from your total fund but the Financial Trust Fund Committee of Nigerian Republic proof in accordance to the United Nation financial edits of 1990 as related to international fund transfer policy as agreed with Western Union acts that no one has right over your fund as it have been signed and stamped that no money should be deducted from your fund until it all gets to you to avoid any mal-practice in making excessive deduction from your fund, be informed that if the policy is not observe it might involve corruption which in other words might lead you losing your fund, therefore take note that they cannot deduct your transfer fees from your fund.

Here is the information of the one they sent today to you but it will remain on hold until your payment file re-new, before they can release this first $5,000 to you. For you to be sure that this money is available in your name so you can track it and confirm the availability of your first payment. Click on our web-site via this tracking link

For your convenience you can use our website to track your money transfer online.

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

Sender's first name...Austin Joseph
Sender's last name...Ginika
MTCN....................8891277944
Transfer Status: (Pending)
Amount:....................... . $5,000.00 USD

Please quickly contact the western union foreign operation manager in Nigeria to help you release your first $5000.00 dollars now, in order to proceed with this kindly contact Mr. Fredinand Rio the western union foreign operation manager in Nigeria and he will help you to get fund now.

Below is the Mr. Ferdinand Rio contact:

NAME: MR FERDINAND RIO
EMAIL: westernunionpick1@yahoo.cn
MOBILE NUMBER: (+234) 8078311512

Your urgent respond is highly needed to enable him release your first transferred $5,000 within an hour; include your telephone number as you reply with your payment MTCN for the transfer fees. We hereby issued you our code of conduct, which is (WUMT-247) so you have to indicate this code when contacting as your subject.

Await your response.

Regards
Mrs. Monica Maldonado
Western Union Managing Director
U.S.A

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam