419 scam: "Western Union Money Transfer@"<westerninfo@westernunion.com> Your Instalment Payment Of $5,500usd ( MTCN 7881645629 Available For Pick Up)

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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:
- "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. )
- "you are advise to" (this email uses bad English)
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (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.
- +2348125423869
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.
- westernunion0096@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Western Union Money Transfer@" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <westernunion0096@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2015 04:32:35 +0300
Subject: Your Instalment Payment Of $5,500usd ( MTCN 7881645629 Available For Pick Up)

Western Union Money Transfer@
Email: westernunion0096@yahoo.com.hk
Website: www.westernunion.com
Motto: In God We Trust!!!
+234-812-542-3869

WESTERN UNION INSTALLMENT PAYMENT ONLY.

Firstly, I must start by apologizing for the delay in contacting you since the beginning of the new year.

This email is coming to you in regards to your funds that you have been unable to claim due to your lack of co-operation in the past. This organization has decided to make it know to you that the funds in your ATM been cleared into an screw account and that you will be receiving your funds through the fastest means of money transfer in the world.

Since you have not been able to claim your funds that has been with us for a very long time, we have to call back your ATM CARD and make arrangement alternatively to transfer your funds instrumentally through Western Union Money Transfer here today which has been programmed to be transferred understatement at rate of $5,500 daily as Western Union laws here does not allow transferring funds above $5,500 at once from this country to another, but we will be sending under installment of $5,500 daily till the amount of $2.5 Million usd is completely Paid to you as the beneficiary of the ATM CARD in question.

In other words, We have today transferred your first instalment payment ( $5,500) available for your pickup at any western union office nearest to you, but still placed on hold due to the unpaid endorsement & daily activation file fee amount of $150.00 that you are supposed to pay before your daily transfer will be made available to you. You will pickup the bellow installment at any western union office nearest to you with below information as soon as you submit the $150 endorsement & daily activation file fee.

You can track your first instalment payment with the Western Union tracking number 1-800-325-6000 or through the western union global website (https:wumt.westernunion.com/asp/orderstatus.asp?country=global) so as for you to know that the money is available for pick up but will not be released to you without the file activation fee of $150 paid by you.

Your Payment Details:

MTCN: 788-164-5629
SENDERS NAME...Christopher Udumaga
SENDERS COUNTRY... Lagos/ Nigeria
TEXT QUESTION.... IN GOD
TEXT ANS... WE TRUST
AMOUNT... $5,500.00.

The endorsement & daily activation file fee of $15- should be sent to our office here in care to our accounting officer through Western Union Money Transfer nearest to you with payment information below:

Receivers Name:TADE JONES
Address: #4989 gibson tower. Abuja, Nigeria
Amount: $150
Text Question: COLOR?
Answer: YELLOW.

As soon as you send the fee, send us the transfer Mtcn/Reference to enable proceed with immediate transfer activation of your first installment payment Notice: This preference is being given to you to our good name and also to make sure we get your funds completely paid to you with no complication of things or delay.

Note: the Activation Fees could not be deducted from the funds in the ATM CARD as we have no access to the funds due to the Fact that it was placed in an escrew account Please submit your Activation charges with the name of our accounting officer as given to you above and get back to this office with details of your payment to proceed.

To avoid complication of things, you are advise to treat this payment as urgent as possible so we can proceed with the activation of your first installment of $5,500usd so you can get it picked up today in any nearest Western Union Money Transfer outlet near you on time to avoid any internet scam hacking of the Mtcn that is given to you above.

Treat As Urgent and get back to this office with receipt of your payment for fast procedures here.

Thanking you for your Anticipated Co-operations.

Respectfully Yours.
Ms. Sarah Clayton.
Payment Department

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam