419 scam: "Financial Office Department ." <mrfrank_godwin@yahoo.fr> Gods Intervention through this Financial Department .

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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:

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.
- +22999519889 (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.
- contactinfo.financialdept@yahoo.fr (Yahoo, France; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Financial Office Department ." <mrfrank_godwin@yahoo.fr>
Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2013 10:23:58 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Gods Intervention through this Financial Department .

FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT, INTERNATIONAL
WIRE TRANSFER UNIT, FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE .
ADDRESS: LARUE, 45578 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE
DISTRICT, COTONOU, REPUBLIC OF BENIN .
Direct Office Telephone: 00 229 99 51 98 89 .
Direct Office Fax No: 00 229 99 51 98 89-0000
E-Mail Address : contactinfo.financialdept@yahoo.fr
E-Mail Address : contactinfo.financialdept@yahoo.fr

Attention and Greetings: ,
I am Mr. Franklin Godwin, the Chair person in charge of Financial Department, Foreign and International wire transfers of   Benin Republic Federal Ministry of Finance. This is to inform you that your fund and its official transfer release file has been now brought to my desk by the director & management of the WESTERN UNION MONEY transfer and some other bank managers declearing to divert your fund to the government treasury account just because you can not pay the wire transfer fee as they complained. In reasoning wisely to this complain i told them to wait untill i hear from you today so that i will know the reason why you decide to rejected such amount of money USD$1.5Million which is your righful & legal overdue inheritance payment just because of transfer fee.

The reason why i sent this email to you is because its your sweat and for this reason you still have this last chance to claim your fund if you can send $80.00  immediately you received this email because i have already arranged your wires ready for its  release to you and incase of any sudden unpredicted error in the future the $80.00 is liable for refund to you, however, all you have to do is to send this $80.00 immediately you received this email today  if possible or as soon possible but failling to do so, i will allow them to have power over your fund and i will be very sorry if you failed as this is the last chance because, i have already taken over your mtcn numbers which you will use to pick up your already sent USD$5,000.00 each wire from these bankers who reported your payment matter to this office .

Actually your money is there now ready for pick up on our website www.westernunion.com as addressed in our central control computer system but could not be release by the western union local agent in your location because you have not paid this $80.00 for your funds wire security transfer code which enable the 100% percent security of your already credited fund .

Therefore, send the USD$80.00 immediately you receive this email and email me your full name and address to me if you want your USD$1.5Million be  send to you by western union money transfer but the maximum amount officially allow for its per day wire to you is USD$5,000.00 per day until you receive your complete USD$1.5Million from here . The second option is for you to send me the full detail of your bank account if you want your fund be fully transfer by direct bank to bank wire transfer to your account at once. After you have sent the $80.00 and email me the mtcn numbers, you are to indicate your wish to receive your funds as i have stated above  and the funds will be telegraphically release to you as you desire from our wiring network without any hintch.

As listed below is the western union information in the name of  our E-Payment Unit accountant Officer  to avoid delay in receiving your fund and remember that i have done my best for you and i will make sure that your wire will get release to you from the moment you sent this $80.00 .

Receivers Name:...UDEH JOHNSON.
Pay-Out Country:... Benin-Republic
Pay-Out City : Cotonou.
Address: Sain-Pierre Paul Cotonou, Benin-Republic.
Test Question:.. OUR HOPE
Answer :.. GOD.
Amount to send: ...$80.00
SEND MTCN NUMBER..................

Send the $80.00 now and send me email with the western union mtcn numbers when you send the money , you can aswell call me on this number +229-99-51-98-89 when you have sent the money now ok .

Email the MTCN control numbers, amount sent, name and address of sender to me for easy collection hence after you have sent the fee .

Thanks .

Mr. Franklin Godwin .
Financial Department, Foreign and International
Wire transfers Unit, Federal Ministry of Finance Benin Republic.
Telephone: +229-99-51-98-89 .

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam