419 scam: "Mr.James Armed" <joy.frank48@gmail.com> Attn; Beneficiary:

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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:
- "activation 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. )
- "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. )
- "moneygram" (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. )
- "i am using this medium to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "united state of america" (this email uses bad English)
- "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.
MoneyGram money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. Along with Western Union it is a 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.
- +22998991701 (Benin, probably a 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.
- ffficemoneygramo@yahoo.co.uk (Yahoo, United Kingdom; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.James Armed" <joy.frank48@gmail.com>
Reply-To: usarevenue74@yahoo.fr
Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:37:33 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Attn; Beneficiary:

NORTH EASTERN UNIVERSITY BENIN REPUBLIC
PHONE NUMBER:+229-98 991701
lNTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
23 HERBERT MARCULARY AVENUE
COTONOU-BENIN REPUBLIC
CONTACTTHIS EMAIL ADDRESS ;( ffficemoneygramo@yahoo.co.uk)
FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY (F.C.T.)

Attn; Beneficiary:

I AM Chief MR.PAUL WILLIAMS, a highly placed official officer of the International Monetary Fund, Cotonou-Benin republic, West Africa (I.M.F.) . I went to the Western Union this morning to examine exactly what is going on about the documents we request from you to enable us permit the Western Union Office to release the payment to you and Dr.JAMES UBAH the Western Union Operation Manager told me that you called them Scammer.

Is that true?I'm a highly placed official officer in I.M.F Office Benin republic and I stand hereby telling you that they are not Scammer. I know them as Western Union Money Transfer Office (WUMTO) We are International Monetary Fund unit, Cotonou-Benin republic and we monitor every transaction in Benin republic. So, when we discovered that Dr. JAMES UBAH wanted to start transferring payment funds to you we then put everything that they are doing on hold and asked them to provide you or they will be arrested so Dr. JAMES UBAH told us that you are in United State of America and it's difficult for you to come here. So that was reason why we gave you the $55 to pay to enable us allow the Western Union, Cotonou- Benin republic to start transferring the funds to you.

INFORMATIONREACHING US FROM OUR CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS NOW, STATES THAT YOU ONLY HAVE 48HOURS TO EFFECT PAYMENT FOR THE ACTIVATION OF YOUR REFERENCE TO ENABLE YOUCASH UP YOUR FIRST $6000:00 FROM YOUR TOTAL (FUND OF $2.8MILLION) SINCE YOU AREFINDING IT DIFFICULT TO MAKE THIS PAYMENT WE HAVE DECIDED THAT YOU ARE TO GOAHEAD AND PAY WHAT EVER YOU HAVE STARTING FROM $6.000USD FOR THE ACTIVATION FEESINCE YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE REQUIRED SUM, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCEHERE.

YOU ARE TOPAY WHAT EVER YOU HAVE STARTING FROM $55.00 FOR THE ACTIVATION FEE; WE WILLACTIVATE YOUR REFERENCE UPON RECEIPT OF THIS PAYMENT.HERE IS THE PAYMENT FORTHE $5000USD BUT YOU CAN NOT PICK IT UP BECUASE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER SAY THAT BEFORE YOU PICK THAT MONEY YOU MUCH PAY THE ANY AMOUNT YOU HAVE OK

BE INFORMEDTHAT YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY THE BALANCE SUM OF YOUR ACTIVATION UPON CASHING UP OFYOUR FIRST $6,000:00 USD, ALSO I AM USING THIS MEDIUM TO INFORM YOU THATFAILURE TO PAY THE BALANCE SUM WILL LEAVE US WITH NO OPTION BUT TO DEACTIVATEYOUR REFERENCE OF WHICH YOU WILL AND CAN NEVER CASH UP THE BALANCE SUM I WANTYOU TO SEND

THE RENEWING AND TRANSFER FEE WITH THE INFORMATION BELLOW.
1RECEIVERNAME:=== : EMEKA PETER
2COUNTRY:=======BENIN REPUBLIC.
3CITY:===========COTONOU
4TESTQUESTION====:GOOD
5TESTANSWER:=====GOD
6AMOUNTYOU SENT====
SENDERNAME=========

SEND US THERE FERENCE NUMBER IMMEDIATELY YOU SEND THE MONEY AND IMMEDIATELY WE CONFIRM THE TRANSFER FEE WE WILL SEND YOU THE FIRST RECIEPT OF YOUR $6000 TODAY AND NOT TOMORROW
REGARDS MYDIRECT PHONE LINE IS +229-98 991701 call me ok
CONTACTTHIS EMAIL ADDRESS ; ( ffficemoneygramo@yahoo.co.uk)
MR.JAMES UBAH, FROM WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER OFFICE BENIN REPUBLIC FOR YOUR. PAYMENT
MR.PAUL WILLIAMS,
OPRATION MANAGER.(I.M.F.)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam