419 scam: Payment Office Settlement <elenamaria490@gmail.com> Urgent Information Regarding Your Payment

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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:
- "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. )
- "moneygram" (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. )
- "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. )
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "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.
MoneyGram money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. Along with Western Union it is a 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.
- +2349035825277 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: Payment Office Settlement <elenamaria490@gmail.com>
Reply-To: paymentsettlement2001@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2017 14:57:41 +0100
Subject: Urgent Information Regarding Your Payment

For Your Kind Attention:

I am Mr. Yusuf Ubanwa, the Chairman in charge of Treasury Department,
International wire transfers of Nigeria Federal Ministry of Finance. This
is to inform you that your fund file was brought to my desk because the
directors & management of the WESTERN UNION & MONEYGRAM transfer have
declared to divert your fund to the government treasury account just
because you cannot pay the wire transfer fee. In reasoning wisely to this
complaint I told them to wait until I hear from you so that I will know the
reason why you decide to reject such amount of money USD$2.5 Million which
is your rightful & legal overdue inheritance payment just because of
transfer fee.

The reason why I sent this email to you is because itâ€™s your sweat and for
this reason you still have this last chance to claim your fund if you can
send $195 today being for the renewing your payment file with this office,
because I have already arranged your wires ready for its daily wires to you
but failing to do this, I will allow them to have power over your fund and
am very sorry if you failed as this is the last chance.

Therefore, send the $195 immediately you receive this email today and email
your full name and address to me if you want your USD$2.5Million to be send
to you by Western Union or Money Gram transfer but the maximum amount
officially allow for it per day wire to you is USD$5,000.00 per day until
you receive your complete USD$2.5 Million from here. The second option is
for you to send me the full detail of your bank account if you want your
fund be fully transfer by direct bank to bank wire transfer to your account
at once or to converting your fund into an ATM Master Card and dispatch it
to you through fast express courier service. After you have sent the
required $195 and email me the MTCN number, you are to indicate your wish
to receive your funds as I have stated above and the funds will be released
to you without any hitch.

Here is our receivers name for the Western Union or Money Gram information
being the name of my accountant to avoid delay in receiving your fund and
remember that I have done my best for you and I will make sure that your
wire will begin to be released to you from the moment you sent the required
$195.

Payment Information

Receivers Name:.............Emmanuel C. Unanka
Country:....................Nigeria
City:...................... Lagos
Test Question:..............REF
Answer:.................... TD2017.
Amount to send:.............$195

Send it and email the MTCN control number, amount sent, senders name and
address of sender to me for easy collection.

You can as well call or text on this stated below phone number
(+234-9035825277).

Thanks.

Barr. Yusuf Ubanwa
Treasury Department,
International Wire Transfers
Federal Ministry of Finance Lagos Nigeria.
Telephone: +234-9035825277

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam