419 scam: "Dr. Vincent Jones " < unfi@un.org> RE:URGENT CLARIFICATION REQUIRED

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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:
- "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- ",500,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "power of attorney" (with your bank details and a power of attorney form criminals sometimes empty bank accounts)
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned 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.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "Dr. Vincent Jones " < unfi@un.org>
Reply-To: ecowascommissionpayments@gmail.com
Date: 04 Nov 2016 17:55:49 -0700
Subject: RE:URGENT CLARIFICATION REQUIRED

Attn:Beneficiary

RE:URGENT CLARIFICATION REQUIRED

Following the present unrest in Nigeria region,The ECOWAS
secretariat in Abuja has ordered to move all foreign payment
files to its headquarter in Cotonou Benin Republic.The Presidency
is taking absolute control of the payment system to avoid
involvement of unpatriotic civil servant.This is in line with his
plea to International Community for investment in Africa growing
economy.

As a result of this development We are instructed to pay you the
sum of $2,500,000.00 (Two Million Five Hundred Thousand United
States Dollars Only) thus an authorization letter has been
forwarded to my office by two gentlemen.One of them is from
Philippines,Engr. Mike Clarkson by name while the other person is
an accountant Mr. Alex Kummer by name,an American national.

In their letter,the two gentlemen claimed to be your
representatives with power of attorney which authorized them to
forward new banking information on your behalf. They claimed that
you are dead and have been buried three months ago.

Consequently they submitted an account to replace your
information in our data in order to claim your outstanding funds,
which is right now lying dormant and unclaimed:
Below is the new account they have submitted:

Bank of the West
12000 N. Washington
Thornton, Colorado 80241 USA
Beneficiary: Alex Kummer
Account No: 567053764
ABA No: 121100782
Swift Code: BWSTUS66

I personally out of curiosity decided to send this message to you
first to confirm their claims.We do not want to make any
mistakes.You should make clarification of claims if you are alive
and confirm if really you sent these two gentlemen who claimed to
be your representatives because we have concluded all relevant
arrangements but if you are dead,may your gentle soul rest in
perfect peace.

If otherwise confirm the following:

1.Complete Names,Current Address and Mobile Phone Number

If I do not hear from you within 72 hrs,I will assume you are
truly dead and will not hesitate to release the fund into the new
given account information with us.

Remember the only payment that you will be needed to pay towards
the release of the fund is the regularization fees $125.00. This
is required to legally put your account in the payment schedule
thereby replacing the new account submitted by the two gentlemen
before the transfer is effected from here been the commissions
headquarter.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Dr. Vincent Jones
Senior Special Adviser On
Foreign Payment ECOWAS Commission Headquarters
Cotonou,Benin Republic
Telephone:+{229}99178629

Anti-fraud resources:

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