419 scam: "Christopher Wray" <ganeshraaya5@gmail.com> GOOD NEWS; $15,500,000.00 COMPENSATION HAS BEEN APPROVED TO YOU.

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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. )
- "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. )
- ",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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "deadline" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
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 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.
- forofficialofficeuseonly@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Christopher Wray" <ganeshraaya5@gmail.com>
Reply-To: forofficialofficeuseonly@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 03 Jul 2024 04:16:32 -0700
Subject: GOOD NEWS; $15,500,000.00 COMPENSATION HAS BEEN APPROVED TO YOU.

GOOD NEWS; $15,500,000.00 COMPENSATION HAS BEEN APPROVED TO YOU.

Good day to you. We hope this message finds you well. This email notification will serve as an Official Approval Letter regarding your approved compensation fund payment.

As the person in charge of your compensation payment file, I am pleased to inform you that after the joint effort investigations that were carried out by the Western Union, MoneyGram and the United Nations Committee, we found your name in the list of those that have sent money through Western Union, Cash App, PayPal, Bitcoin, Bank Transfer/Deposit and Money Gram in the course of receiving your Inheritance, Donation funds, Lottery funds, United Nation compensation funds which prove that you have been swindled by those unscrupulous people that specialized in using false pretense to lure and extort money from their victims.

Please note that the United Nations Committee held a meeting with the Board of Directors of the WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM and the FBI alongside with the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT of the Treasury director. As a result of the investigation's outcome, it was agreed that the sum of Five Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollar (U.S. $15, 500,000.00) should be paid to you from the funds set aside by The United States Department of the Treasury to compensate scam victims.

The compensation scheme is open to people who wired money to scammers via Western Union, bitcoin, bank and MoneyGram between January 1, 2004 to April 30, 2024, the deadline for lodging these claims is December 30, 2024.

This case is being handled/overseen by the FBI to ensure that there will be no further setbacks, moreso, we have submitted your details to the appropriate authority that is in charge of effecting the transfer of the mentioned funds to you. Kindly contact the Western Union director through the information below.

Contact Person: Mrs. Betsy Holden
Position:: Director of Western Union
Email: forofficialofficeuseonly@gmail.com

At this juncture, you are advised to contact the director of the western Union Mrs. Betsy Holden via her information provided herein this email, so that she can commence the necessary arrangement for the payment of your approved fund.

We call upon you to kindly contact the aforementioned person, she is the appropriate person to handle your compensation fund payment.

Yours sincerely,
Christopher Wray,
FBI Director.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam