419 scam: "Peter Mensah"<mrpetermensa04@gmail.com> GOOD DAY

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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. )
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.
- +2348034321492 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Peter Mensah" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrpetermensah49@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2014 16:50:55 +0100
Subject: GOOD DAY

MANAGER REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT
WESTERN UNION Ghana
+233242362146

REF: MT89TQ

Western Union has directed Us to commence immediate release of your funds
in badges of $6,000 each.first payment has been released before we noticed
that your name is not yet registered on the western union online
database.Its quit annoying that your name being the first on the list was
omitted due to your delays in responding to our emails.

To prove that this is never one of the internet scams,you are advised to
visit/copy the link into your web browser to see that your name has been
omitted in the first row with doted lines------ Visit >>>>
http://westernunion-paymentlist.es.tl/

In order to get immediate access to your funds and not to have your name
and your $3.5Million totally erased,you are to send the $197 for the
reactivation and inserting of your name back to the online data base which
will prompt the immediate release of your funds.Please note that your fund
is ready to be sent to you batch by batch until the total fund is sent. So
you have to send the reactivation fee to enable us access your funds
online immediately and start sending your Funds.

Your funds will be sent through this western union outlet in badges of
$6,000,00 each which you will be receiving every day till you get your
total fund of $3.5Million.Use the information bellow in sending the fee.

Receiver's Name ------------------------ Perrina Gyamfi
Address: ------------------------------Accra-Ghana
Test Question---------------------- ---TRUST
Test Answer------------------------ ---GOD
Amount------------------------ ------------$197
Mtcn-------------------------- ---------------?

Dispatch of your fund begins Immediately the receiving agent gets the MTCN
of this $197 which will allow the central computer allow
registering,accessing and releasing of your funds in badges without any
further delay.For more explanations,please call or text me on:
+2348034321492

Yours Sincerely,

Peter Roger Mensah
+233242362146
REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT
WESTERN UNION OUTLET,Ghana

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam