419 scam: "Miss. Brenda Smith" <zhiwu1292@gmail.com> Attention Email Address Owner:

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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. )
- "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. )
- "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)
- "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.
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.

Fraud email example:

From: "Miss. Brenda Smith" <zhiwu1292@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mmoneygram458@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2022 11:11:16 +0100
Subject: Attention Email Address Owner:

ANY AMOUNT FOR YOU TO PICKUP YOUR FIRST PAYMENT

Information reaching us from our corporate headquarters now, states that
you only have 48hours to effect payment for the activation of your MTCN to
enable you cash up your first $6500:00 from your total (fund) since you are
finding it difficult to make this 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 required sum, time is of the essence here.

You are to pay what ever you have for the activation fee; we will activate
your MTCN upon receipt of this payment. here is the payment for the
$6500:00 usd with the name of our Asistant Accountant officer but you can
not pick it up because the chairman of the MONEY GRAM say that before you
pick that money you must pay any amount you have at hand out of listed
Amount bellow,

List of any amount you can Sent choose any one here, $108.00usd,
$46.00usd,$50.00usd, 69.00usd $39.00usd or $85.00 usd,send it through
MONEY GRAM Or Western Union

Bellow is the information you can pick up your money but Remenber that you
can not pick it up the money due to it is on hold until you going to
MoneyGram to send the tansfer charge of any Amount you have at hand out of
listed mount.

(Track the MTCN track) by visiting:::::::::
https://secure.moneygram.com/track
Money Transfer Control Number (M.T.C.N): 17369582
Sender First Name: Elliott
Sender Last Name: Mazer
Question=when
Answer=Now
Amount Sent=$6,500 USD

Be informed that you will have to pay the balance sum of your activation
upon cashing up of your first $6500:00 USD, also I am using this medium to
inform you that failure to pay the balance sum will leave us with no option
but to deactivate your MTCN of which you will and can never cash up
the balance sum I want you to send the renewing and transfer fee with the
information bellow.Your total amount of your fund is $4.5Million USD.

So use this name and Address of our Accountant officer to send any Amount
you have at hand out of listed amount bellow use RIA OR GOOGLE CARD.

1.receiver name:. .Milo Buddy
2.country:. . . . .Benin Republic.
3.city :. . . . . .Cotonou
4.test question:. . when?
5.test answer:. . .Now
6.sender name Address. . .
7.amount you Sent $108.00usd, $46.00usd,
$50.00usd, 69.00usd $25.00usd or
$85.00 usd,send it through MONEY GRAM Or Western Union

send us the MTCN number immediately you send the money and immediately we
confirm the transfer fee we will release your first receipt
of your $6500:00 today or tomorrow morning,

God be with you and your family thank,

Miss. Brenda Smith
Money Gram office Benin republic for your payment,

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam