419 scam: OFFICE FILES <officefiles420@yahoo.co.nz> YOUR ATM CARD WORTH OF USD $8.5 Million

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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. )
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "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 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.
- courierservice3@kimo.com (Kimo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: OFFICE FILES <officefiles420@yahoo.co.nz>
Reply-To: OFFICE FILES <courierservice11@kimo.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2014 10:30:55 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: YOUR ATM CARD WORTH OF USD $8.5 Million

Â Happy new month,
Â
This is to inform you that the Fund Recovery Agency, Ministry of Finance of the Government of The Benin Republic has recovered some seized funds from the Western Union Office and Courier Services Companies including Banks during the ongoing first quarter of the year's financial accounts and reports activity. It has been discovered that your name and information was among the beneficiaries who could not conclude their transactions did not receive their entitled fund from the above mentioned institutions according to the report on your payment file recovered during the recovery operations.
Â
The reason why this fund has not be sent to you was an out of trust from you and other people involved in this regard as the recent investigations revealed. Right now this fund have been deposited with the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS Apex Bank which is the "Central Bank Of West African States" by the Government with mandate that this fund should be paid to you through International Certified Visa ATM CARD and fund will be withdraw able from any ATM MACHINE cash point in part of the World without any further procedures because of all the delays you have encountered because all the necessary official charges in regards of this fund have be paid by the Benin Republic Government on the condition that once you receive this ATM CARD and start withdrawing funds from it, you will refund the Government the fee that they paid on your behalf which is USD $18,000.00. You are also required to know that the total cash value of your ATM CARD is USD $8.5 Million.
Â
If you agree on the condition of refunding the Government the mentioned amount USD $18,000.00 which they spent in order to finalize your fund release and your payment via ATM VISA CARD, you are hereby required to reconfirm your full information for the delivery of your ATM CARD without further delays within 4 days through DHL Courier Services.
Â
Email address:Â (courierservice3@kimo.com )
Â
Please provide the below required information:
Â
Full name: ......................
Address: .................................
Phone no: .......................................
A copy of your International Passport or Identity Card or Driver's
License......................
Â
As soon as you have complied with the instructions, your ATM CARD will be delivered to you in 4 days' time after we received the information for the delivery.
Â
Thanks,
Â
Dr.Nony Edwin
Addrss: BP 787 Government Route Kanji Cotonou Benin Republic. Tel.+229 6755-9971

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam