419 scam: "Ms. Elsa Laksmi" <jeandiatta78@yahoo.co.uk> Good Day Dear.

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.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "swift card payment center" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
- "affidavit of claim" (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)
- "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "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.
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.
- +22996503567 (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.
- info.ubacapital@yahoo.com (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Ms. Elsa Laksmi" <jeandiatta78@yahoo.co.uk>
Reply-To: info.ubacapital@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2012 11:30:44 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Good Day Dear.

Dear Valued Beneficiary:

I am Ms. Elsa Laksmi, from the Ministry of Finance Benin. I am here to inform you of a compensation payment sum of US$5,200,000.00 which has been approved in your name by the Management of the Central Bank of West African States as part of Your delayed Outstanding Contract/Inheritance Payment for the End of the Year 2012.

This is as a result of Our comprehensive Investigations regarding Your Inability to receive Your Over Due Payment, from which it is discovered that you have Dealt with a set of Corrupt Government Officials who have been making Frantic Efforts to Divert Your Funds to Their Personal Accounts to Enrich Themselves.

In furtherance to that, You are warned to Stop Further Dealings with any of those Person(s) Or Office(s) because such Illegal Dealings/ Activities may Sabotage this Effort in ensuring a Hitch Free Release of Your Payment.

Now, be informed the authorization for the release of this payment to you has been given to the Management of the Central Bank of Benin, who have already arranged your payment and are ready for it to be dispatched to you soon as you make contact with them.

They have arranged your payment through their Swift Card Payment Center Asia Pacific, through which, an ATM Card which you will use to withdraw your funds from any ATM machine in any part of the world, will send you. Note: with the ATM Card, you will be entitled to make uninterrupted withdrawals per day and you can be able to transfer your fund to any bank account of your choice Worldwide.

You are now advised to kindly contact the below person who is in position to release your ATM Payment Card, with your information which they will use to send the card to you as stated below.

1; Your Complete Names.
2; Your Contact Address.
3; Your Contact Telephone/Mobile Numbers.
4; Your Age & Occupation.

Send the full information to the ATM payment director, below is the contact details:

Payment Director: Dr. Desmond Peters
UBA Capital (Europe) Limited
Address: C/114-116 Akpakpa, Cotonou.
Cotonou, the Republic of Benin.
Email: info.ubacapital@yahoo.com
Tel.: +229 96 50 35 67.

Contact them as quickly as possible and indicate to them your best option to receive your fund in case you will not be willing to accept your payment through their ATM Card Payment Process.

More so, be informed that all that is required for the processing of your payment through the Visa ATM Card Payment system has been provided to them and you duty now is to contact them and provide to them an Affidavit of Claim of the Payment, for confirmation/legalization of your beneficiary right before they will proceed with the release of the payment to you.

Thank You.

Regards,
Ms. Elsa Laksmi.
Director of Operations.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam