419 scam: "Ms.Linda Johnson" <kayitaesp@yahoo.fr> MTCN: 4971033872-(Available For 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. )
- "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.
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.
- +22999375240 (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.
- westernunion912@rocketmail.com (Rocketmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Ms.Linda Johnson" <kayitaesp@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: westernunion912@rocketmail.com
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2012 13:10:19 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: MTCN: 4971033872-(Available For Pick-Up)

SEND
MONEY WORLDWIDE:OFFICE
OF THE WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.COTONOU
BENIN REPUBLIC/COTONOU
BENIN REPUBLIC/ADDRESS 455
AGBOKOU,ANKPAROAD
OPPOSITE TUNDE MOTORS COTONOU..
Welcome
to Western
Union

SEND MONEY WORLDWIDE:

+229-99375240 Yours in service
Mrs. Vivian William
Vital Finance
Western Union.

Dearest
customer

WE ARE INSTRUCTED TO
SEND YOUR FUND TO YOUR ADDRESS IN YOUR CITY FROM THE BOARD OF INTERNATIONAL
MONETARY OF FUND/WORLD BANK STATING THAT THE FUND IS YOUR INHERITAANCE
FUND.YOU WILL BE RECEIVING YOUR FUND ( $5000,00) PER DAY AND YOU WILL
RECEIVE THE TOTAL SUM OF ($3,500.000.00USA.D) THROUGH OUR OFFICE WITHOUT
ANY HITCH.

YOU ARE REQUIRE TO SEND US
OUR TRANSFER FEE WHICH IS THE SUM OF $105 TO ENABLE US REACTIVATE YOUR FILE
AND TRANSFER YOUR PAYMENT TODAY, SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE YOUR FUND
WITHOUT ANY HITCH, WE DONT HAVE THE POWER TO DEDUCT THE CHARGES SINCE YOUR FUND
IS PROTECTED WITH INSURANCE HARD COVER, WE WANTED TO DEDUCT THE TRANSFER
FEE, BUT DUE TO THE INSURANCE HARD COVER WE CANNOT DEDUCT ANY MONEY FROM IT
BECAUSE IT WAS STATED THAT IT IS ONLY THE BENEFICIARY WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO
DEDUCT ANY MONEY FROM YOUR FUND.

AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT
THERE IS NO MISTAKE THAT THE INFORMATIONS ARE CORRECT

Sender's First Name: AIDA
Sender's
Last Name: SANGARE
MTCN: 4971033872-(Available For
Pick-Up)
AMOUNT..........$5,000.00
TEXT QUESTION How much
?
ANSWER $5,000.00

THE NEXT PAYMENT WILL BE MAILED TO
YOU AS SOON AS YOU SEND US OUR TRANSFER CHARGES

WHY WE NEED YOU TO
SEND US THE $105USD IS THAT WE TRIED TO DEDUCT THE FEE OUT FROM YOUR FUND BUT
THE LOTTERY COMMISSION ADMINISTRATOR TRUST FUND OF BENIN REPUBLIC TOLD US
THAT NO ONE HAS RIGHT OVER YOUR FUND AS IT HAVE BEEN SIGNED,STAMPED AND
PROTECTED WITH INSURANCE HARD COVER, THAT NO MONEY SHOULD BE DEDUCTED UNTIL IT
GETS TO YOUR HANDS FOR SECURITY PURPOSE.

So please kindly
proceed to western union office and send our transfer charge of $105usd, Here is
our Western Union payment information that you will use to make the payment
in other to release the transfer today as well.

RECEIVER NAME==== Ateli M. Nnaemeka

COUNTRY==========BENIN REPUBLIC
CITY==============COTONOU
TEXT
QUESTION====WHEN
TEXT
ANSWER=====TODAY
AMOUNT---------$105
MTCN-------------?
SEND
NAME........?

NOTE THAT IF
WE DO NOT RECEIVE THE PAYMENT INFORMATION FROM YOU THAT WE SHALL PICK UP THE
MONEY FOR SECURITY REASON TO AVOID ONLINE HACKERS FROM PICKING YOUR MONEY, SO DO
NOT BE WORRIED WHEN YOU CHECK THE STATUS OF THE MTCN AND FIND OUT IT IS PICKED
UP.

CALL ME ON :+229 99375240 FOR
FURTHER CLARIFICATION

YOUR URGENT RESPOND IS HIGHLY NEEDED .WAITING TO
HEAR FROM YOU AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE TO QUICKEN THE
PROCESS.

THANKS FOR YOUR
CO-OPERATION

Vital Finance Western
Union.
Yours in service
Mr
Ben Edword.
westernunion912@rocketmail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam