419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

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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. )
- "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. )
- "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. )
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.
- +22968893545 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- fernandokravitz10@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Western Union Mgr <"www."@helen.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: Western Union Mgr <fernandokravitz10@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2017 08:37:37 +0900 (JST)
Subject: You have only six hours to Call# this office upon the receipt of
this email

Attention:

This is to inform you that the America Embassy office was instructed to transfer your fund $985,000.00 U.S Dollars compensating all the SCAM VICTIMS, and your email was found as one of the VICTIMS by the America security leading team and America$B!G(Bs representative officers. So between today, till 20th Of July 2017 you will be
receiving the sum of $6,000.00 dollars per day. However be informed that we have already sent the $6,000.00 dollars this morning to avoid cancellation of your payment, remaining the total sum of $979,000.00.

You have only six hours to Call# this office upon the receipt of this email the maximum amount you will be receiving per day $B!H(Bstarting from today is $6,000.00 and the Money Transfer Control Number of today is below.

NOTE: The sent $6,000.00 is on-held because of the instruction from US Embassy$B!G(Bs Delegates, they asked us to place it on hold by requesting the (Clean Bill Record Certificate) in order to fulfill all necessary obligation to avoid any hitches while sending you the payment through Western Union money transfer, the necessary obligation i mean here is to obtain the (Clean Bill Record Certificate).

Below is the information of today, you may be able to track it in our website www.westernunion.com,through this procedure because the obligation has not been carried out. We haven$B!G(Bt affected it online for security reasons, to avoid hackers stealing the money online.Just paste the MTCN and track it.

MTCN:.............. 2203270071
Question:.......... Time
Answer:............ 6hrs
Amount:............ $6,000.00

We need the below details from you, to enable us fully activate the payment to your name for it to reflect in your country's western union branch office, and to update our file records:

1. Your Full Names:....................
2. Postal Address:.....................
3. Phone Number:.......................
4. Cell Numbers:.......................
5. Email Address:......................
6. Sex:................................
7. Age:................................
8. Occupation: ........................
9. Nationality:........................

Furthermore you are advised to call us as the instruction was passed that within 6hours without hearing from you, Consider your payment cancelled. Number to call is the below listed managing director's office of the release order Call#: +22968893545. Email them via ( fernandokravitz10@yahoo.com ) immediately!!!

Thanks
Mr.Fernando Kravitz
(Western Union Mgr Benin Rep.)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam