419 scam: "MR MIKE ANTHONY," <sylvanusdeza@yahoo.fr> Hello Dear, How are you today?

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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. )
- "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. )
- "money transfer control number" (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)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "wester_nunion01@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.
- +22999537575 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR MIKE ANTHONY," <sylvanusdeza@yahoo.fr> (may be fake)
Reply-To: wester_nunion01@live.com
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:59:27 -0700
Subject: Hello Dear, How are you today?

Hello Dear, How are you today?

WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER. COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC
ADDRESS 455 AGBOKOU, ANKPA ROAD LAGOTES PALA
E-MAIL {wester_nunion01@live.com}

ATTENTION:

INFORMATION REACHING US FROM OUR CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS NOW,
STATES THAT YOU ONLY HAVE 24HOURS TO EFFECT PAYMENT FOR THE ACTIVATION OF YOUR MTCN TO ENABLE YOU CASH UP YOUR FIRST $5000.00 usd, FROM YOUR TOTAL (FUND)
SINCE YOU ARE FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO MAKE THIS PAYMENT WE HAVE DECIDED THAT YOU ARE TO GO AHEAD AND PAY WHATEVER YOU HAVE FOR THE ACTIVATION FEE SINCE YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE REQUIRED SUM,TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE HERE.
YOU ARE TO PAY WHATEVER SOME OF $67 NOW FOR THE ACTIVATION FEE; WE WILL ACTIVATE YOUR MTCN UPON RECEIPT OF THIS PAYMENT.

HERE IS YOUR AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP MTCN: 1536432755

So you are to re-confirm to them the below information,
Your. Receiver----------
Your. Country-------
Your. City-----------
Your. Tel----------
Your. Test question------
Your. Answer-----------
Your..Passport-----------

Here Is The Payment information of your first payment that has been transfer but it's still on hold till you send the transfer charge so you can track it now and confirm that it's available for pick up then once you send the transfer charge today,
we
will release it immediately to enable you pick it today.

MONEY TRANSFER CONTROL NUMBER(M.T.C.N):1536432755
SENDERS FIRST NAME: JAMES
SENDERS LAST NAME: EYORA
QUESTION:IN GOD
ANSWER:WE TRUST

WEBSITE; http://www.westernunion.com/ TRACK IT AND BE SURE OK.

BE INFORMED THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY THE SUM OF YOUR ACTIVATION UPON CASHING UP OF YOUR FIRST $5000.00 usd,
ALSO I AM USING THIS MEDIUM TO INFORM YOU THAT FAILURE TO PAY THE BALANCE SUM WILL LEAVE US WITH NO OPTION
BUT TO DEACTIVATE YOUR MTCN OF WHICH YOU WILL AND CAN NEVER CASH UP THE BALANCE SUM
I WANT YOU TO SEND THE RENEWING AND TRANSFER FEE WITH THE INFORMATION BELLOW.

1. RECEIVERS NAME...MIKE OFO,
2.COUNTRY... BENIN REPUBLIC.
3. CITY... COTONOU.
4. TEST QUESTION...URGENT
5.TEST ANSWER...NEEDED.

SEND US THE MTCN NUMBER IMMEDIATELY YOU SEND THE MONEY AND IMMEDIATELY WE CONFIRM THE TRANSFER FEE
WE WILL SEND YOU THE FIRST RECEIPT OF YOUR $5000.00 usd, TODAY AND NOT TOMORROW.

YOUR PAYMENT OF $5000.00 usd, MTCN 1536432755 IS AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO PICK UP NOW,
THANKS
MR MIKE ANTHONY,
Phone Cell +22999537575,

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam