419 scam: "Miss. Brenda Smith"<info@ffjkk.org> THE TOTAL OF FUND WE ARE GOING TO TRANSFER TO YOU IS 3.5 MILLION

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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:
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "i am using this medium to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- ",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)
- "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.
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 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.
- westernunionpaymeny@gmail.com (Gmail/GoogleMail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Miss. Brenda Smith"<info@ffjkk.org>
Reply-To: westernunionpaymeny@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 07 Jun 2021 14:12:45 +0300
Subject: THE TOTAL OF FUND WE ARE GOING TO TRANSFER TO YOU IS 3.5 MILLION

Attention beneficiary:

THE TOTAL OF FUND WE ARE GOING TO TRANSFER TO YOU IS 3.5 MILLION

Information reaching us from our Western Union Corporate Headquarters now, States that you only have 48hours to effect payment for the activation of your 3,500,000:00 USDA to enable you to cash up your total (fund) since you are finding it difficult to make the total payment, We have decided that you are to go ahead and pay whatever you have for the activation fee since you are not able to come up with the total required sum. Time is of the essence here.

You are to pay whatever you have as an activation fee; we will activate your fund upon receipt of this payment to enable you to receive your first
2,000:00 USDA from any Western Union centers around you today.

Be informed that you will have to pay the balance sum of your activation upon cashing upon your first payment.

Also, I am using this medium to inform you that failure to pay the balance of the sum will leave us with no option but to deactivate your fund of which you
will and can never cash up your total sum again I want you to use Western Union or Money Gram to send whatever you have for the activation fee with
the information Bellow.

Receiver Name: Tony We
Receiver city: COTONOU.
Receiver country: BENIN.
Country code: 229.
Text question: COLOR.
Text answer: BLUE.

Amount: YOU CAN PAY ANY AMOUNT YOU HAVE NOW.

(M.T.C.N) Money Transfer Control Number ::::::::

Sender's name ::::::::

Kindly reconfirm to him the following below information:

Your full ________________
Your address____________________
Your country________________________
Your Telephone____________________
Your I D_____________________

Send us the MACON number, Sender Address, immediately you send the money and immediately we confirm the activation fee, we will transfer you the fund today and not tomorrow. Regards my direct email (westernunionpaymeny@gmail.com) Miss.Brenda Smith.

For your payment, I promise you as soon as we hear from you with the payment of ANY AMOUNT YOU HAVE NOW will tell you to send today, we shall send your first payment of 2,000.00 USDA for you to pick up with the information you need to receive your payment the same day you send the payment of ANY AMOUNT and I swear you will receive your payment immediately.

EMAIL ME THE MACON NUMBER OR CALL ME OK I AM WAITING.

Miss. Brenda Smith.
Head Office Operations Manager.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam