419 scam: "Mr. Steven Latasha" <billsssssssssssssssssss@gmail.com> Attention Dear Customer.

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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. )
- "money gram" (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. )
- "money-gram" (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. )
- "money transfer control number" (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. )
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "i will advice you " (this email uses bad English)
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "accredited attorney" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "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.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
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.
- westernsunion123@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Steven Latasha" <billsssssssssssssssssss@gmail.com>
Reply-To: westernsunion123@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2014 16:30:06 -0200
Subject: Attention Dear Customer.

WELCOME TO WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER AGENT.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF TRANSACTION COTONOU, BENIN REPUBLIC
ADDRESS: 455 AGBOKOU, ANKPA ROAD. OPPOSITE TUNDE MOTORS
COTONOU/. E-MAIL: (westernsunion123@gmail.com)

Attention Dear Customer.

How are you today? Hope all is fine and right with you. Well I am
written this email message to inform you that we already issued out
those documents to accompany $6,000 payment daily from our Western
Union Foreign Remittance Department as programmed to $50 beneficiaries
and your email address is among of the $50 emails . But the only
problem we are having right here is your personal signature which the
Federal Administrator of Fund Benin Republic requested that you must
sign those documents before we can start Transferring your daily
Payment of USD$6,000.00 to you. However, I told the officer in charge
that it will not be necessary for you to come down here due to your
occupation or some other things that may not allow you to come down
here to sign those documents by yourself. The Minister Administrator
of Fund said that you should get an attorney to sign on your behalf if
you are unable to come down here in person.

I think this way is the best and the only way forward for you to
star receiving your Payment as programmed, I have negotiated with an
attorney who will sign on your behalf. His name is Barrister John
Adams, his email, (westernsunion123@gmail.com). According to him you
are to pay for the accredited attorney. He is charging $6,000to be
paid before he gets those documents signed in your favor. I told him
to consider signing those documents on your behalf today with a
promise that you will pay him back from the first $6,000 payment you
suppose to receive today under 1hour and 45minutes that he gets those
documents signed on your behalf this morning.

And his response is that you have to pay the accredited attorney fee
of $6,000 before signing those documents. Well, I asked him for the
very last time if he could allow you pay half of his fee today with a
promise that you will pay him the remain balance immediately your
First $6,000 payment is been picked up by you today under 1hours and
45minutes after he might has signed the documents on your behalf.
After a long talk with he has accepted that you should go ahead and
pay the half of the fee which is $50 through Western Union or
Money Gram today. He needs me to ask you if you will be so kind to pay
him back the remain $50 balance at the western union office once
you picked up the $6,000 pay today and I told him that you will pay
him. So therefore I hereby write this message to ask you to let me
know if you will pay his balance immediately you pick up the First
$6,000 payment from any Western Union outlet around you.

He wants you to pay half of $50 today if you are so kind to pay
the balance at the western union office once you picked up the $6,000
payment this morning. But if you are not kind enough to pay his
balance after picking the first transfer just do not bother yourself
not to reply because I won't see another attorney here to do this.
Here is information for you to pay $50 half of his fee through
western union or Money Gram today.

You have to hurry up to enable me proceed for the transferring of your
total inheritance funds $2,6m.

Send the half of the fee $50 today via Western Union or Money-Gram;

Receiver's Name:..................BENJAMIN IDERIKE ABISI
Country:..................... ........BENIN
City:..................................COTONOU
Amount:...........................$50 USD
Test Question:...................A
Test Answer:...................B
Sender's Name:...............?
Money Transfer Control Number:::#
SENDERS NAME..........
COUNTRY..........

DO FORWARD THE PAYMENT INFORMATION ONCE YOU ARE DONE WITH THE
PAYMENT SUCH AS SENDER'S NAME / MONEY TRANSFER CONTROL NUMBER ALRIGHT,
YOU CAN ALSO CALL ME ON THIS NUMBER
The attorney will get those documents signed as soon as he confirms
the half of his fee from you. I will advice you to pay him the half of
$50 and let him sign the documents and you will then pay the other
balance of $50 immediately you have confirmed and picked up your
First Pay out USD$6,000.00 from the same Western Union Office OK.

We look forward to your email response along with the Payment Information.
Mr. Steven Latasha (General Director)
Western Union Management COTONOU-Benin
E-mail: westernsunion123@gmail.com

...................................................
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All rights reserved. Terms of Service -Guideline

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam