419 scam: "Francisco Vieira" <francisco.vieira@uem.mz> Contact Person:Mr.James Moore

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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. )
- ",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)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
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 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.
- +2348063364414 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- unupdatedeptng@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Francisco Vieira" <francisco.vieira@uem.mz>
Reply-To: unupdatedeptng@hotmail.com
Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 15:25:31 +0100
Subject: Contact Person:Mr.James Moore

SCAMMED VICTIMS/ 521 BENEFICIARIES REF/PAYMENTS CODE:06654

This is to bring to your notice that I am a delegate from the United
Nations to The IMF (http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2003/ik344.doc.
htm) West Africa Regional Payment Office
to pay 521 scam victims $18,500,000 each.You are listed and approved
for this payment as one of the scammed victims to be paid this amount,
get back to me as soon as possible for the immediate payments of your
$18,500,000 compensations funds.On this faithful recommendations, I
want you to know that during the last U.N. meetings held at Abuja,
Federal Republic of Nigeria, it was alarmed so much by the world in
the meetings on the lost of funds by various individual to scam
artist operating in syndicates all over the world today.

In other to compensate these victims, the U.N Body is now paying 521
victims of this operators $18,500,000 each in accordance with the U.N
recommendations. Due to the corrupt and in-efficient Banking Systems
in Federal Republic of Nigeria, the payments are to be paid by UN
officials sitting at IMF(International Monetary Fund) West Africa
Regional Payment Office as corresponding payment centre under funding
assistance by United Nation body.

According to the number of applicants at hand, 284 Beneficiaries has
been paid,half of the victims are from the United States, and we
still have more 237 left to be paid the compensations of $18,500,000
each. Your particulars was mentioned by one of the Syndicates who was
arrested as one of their victims of the operations, you are hereby
warned not to communicate or duplicate this message to him for any
reason what so ever as the U.S. Secret service is already on trace of
the other criminals. So keep it secret till they are all apprehended.
Other victims who have not been Contacted can submit their
application as well for scrutiny and possible consideration.

We have signed a contract with FedEx Red Star Express Courier Service
which should expire by the end of MAY 2010 you will only need to pay
$180 for the
delivery of your parcel which will be paid to our admin officer.
Everything has been taken care of by his Excellency Goodluck Jonathan,
including taxes, custom paper and clearance duty,The total amount for
everything is $180, We have tried our possible best to indicate that
this $180 dollar should be deducted from your winning prize but we
found out that the funds have already been written in a Certified
Cashier cheque and cannot be accessed by anyone apart from you,
therefore you will be required to pay the required fee's via Western
Union Money Transfer.

You can receive your compensations payments via.1. ATM CARD 2. CHECK
PAYMENT

Indicate your option and send your full Name and telephone number/
your correct mailing address,SCAN COPY OF IDENTIFICATION, where you
want us to send the compensation to.

UN Admin Pay-Out Officer.
Contact Person:Mr.James Moore
Email:unupdatedeptng@hotmail.com
Telephone: +2348063364414

I shall feed you with further modalities as soon as I hear from you.

Yours faithfully,
Dr Ise Joseph
United Nation Representative
http://www.un.org/sg

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