419 scam: "UNITED NATIONS"<unhelpunit@un.org> UNITED NATIONS HELP UNIT

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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.
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.
- +8613712407705 (China, 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.
- unhelpunit@163.com (163; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "UNITED NATIONS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <unhelpunit@163.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2012 18:36:43 -0700
Subject: UNITED NATIONS HELP UNIT

UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION UNIT,
IN AFFILIATION WITH WORLD BANK
From: Special Envoy to Secretary-General PAUL DONG.
ASIAN REGIONAL OFFICE.

Attention Dear,

This is to bring to your notice that we are delegated from the UNITED NATIONS instructing Central Banks to pay 50 victims from your country who has being Victims of Internet scam .The United Nations has decided to pay you $1,800,000 USD (One Million Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars) each. You are listed and approved for this payment as one of the scammed victims to be paid this amount. Get back to this office as soon as possible for the immediate payment of your $1,800,000 USD compensation funds. We have been having a meeting for the past Seven months which ended Three days ago with the former secretary to the UNITED NATIONS in the person of Mr. Ban Ki-Moon.

This email is to all the people that have been scammed or extorted money from because of your contract payment execution in any part of the world. The UNITED NATIONS have agreed to compensate them with the sum of US$1.8 MILLION This includes every foreign contractors that may have not received their contract sum, and people that have had an unfinished transaction or international businesses that failed due to Government problems or irregularities etc.

We found your email in our list and that is why we are contacting you, this has been agreed upon and has been signed by the United Nations Board of Directors and Trustees. You have to contact Mr. Emma Collin, our payment agent in Asia, as he is our UNITED NATIONS representative in Asia, contact him immediately for your check of US$1.8 MILLION This funds are in a Bank Draft for security purpose. He will send it to you and you can clear it in any bank of your choice in your Country.

Send a copy of your response to official email:
SECURITY & FINANCIAL CONTACT AGENT: Mr. Emma Collin
EMAIL: unhelpunit@163.com
TEL: +8613712407705

You are advised to send your communication particulars,

Full names
Age
Telephone
Fax numbers
Mailing Address
Occupation
Marital Status
Your Company Name And Address

Contact Mr. Emma Collin immediately for your Cashier Check.

Thanks and God bless you and your family. Hoping to hear from you as soon as you cash your Bank Draft. Making the world a better place for the sake of Humanity.

Give him your File Reference (RE-1077-V) and you are free to contact him via telephone number which he will provide to you upon the receipt of your email.

Best Regards,
Yours Faithfully,
Mr Ban Ki-Moon
Secretary United Nations
Asia Regional Officer
General Paul Dong.
(Financial Officer)United Nations... http://www.un.org/sg/

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam