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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "westernunion.com" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <federick_donald@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2017 09:49:23 -0300
Subject: Instant Payment of $5,500, MTCN Available For Pick-Up

Western Union Money Transfer@
Website: www.westernunion.com
Motto: In God We Trust!!!
+234-8151934105

WESTERN UNION INSTALLMENT PAYMENT ONLY.

This email is coming to you in regards to your unpaid funds due to your lack of co-operation in the past.

This organization has decided to make it known to you that the funds in your ATM has 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 for a very long time, we have to call back your ATM CARD and make arrangement alternatively to transfer your funds instalmentally through Western Union Money Transfer here today which has been programmed to be transferred at rate of $5,500 daily since 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 below 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::::::::::::::: 335-754-6626
SENDERS NAME::::::: Donald Vann
SENDERS COUNTRY:::: Lagos/ Nigeria
TEXT QUESTION:::::: Who Is Great
TEXT ANSWER:::::::: God
AMOUNT::::::::::::: $5,500.00.

The endorsement & daily activation file fee of $150 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: MATHEW AREMU
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.

Respectfully Yours.
Ms. Sarah Clayton.
Payment Department

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