419 scam: Investigation <westernumtcustom@sify.com> FROM FBI

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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. )
- "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. )
- "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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)
- ",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)
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "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.
- ofinvestigations_federalbureau4@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Investigation <westernumtcustom@sify.com>
Reply-To: ofinvestigations_federalbureau4@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Fri, 2 Dec 2011 10:21:58 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: FROM FBI

Special Agent Dr. Larry Moss and Robert S. Mueller III, Anti-Terrorist and
Monetary Crimes Division Fbi Headquarters In Washington,
D.C.  20535J. Edgar
Hoover Building935 Pennsylvania Avenue,NW Washington,
D.C.20535-0001, USA
Website: www.fbi.gov

Attn: Beneficiary,

I am Dr. Larry Moss, the
personal secretary to the FBI Director; Robert S. Mueller III. Investigations
revealed that you have spent a lot on your personal earned money obtaining
transfer documents as requested by Imposters, costing you a lot of money, yet
all efforts to receive your overdue payment have been to no avail.

With the help of some of the
best Internet investigators attached to the FBI,
we have taken out time in screening through this project as stipulated on our
protocol of operation and in addition, we sent special financial crime
investigators from
Washington
DC to
Africa in other to carry out proper investigations after
receiving series of reports similar to yours as you are not the only person
awaiting the legal transfer of funds from Africa.

Based on the findings of our
special financial crime investigators, we discovered that your impending payment
is being delayed by Imposters, claiming to be Western Union Money Transfer And Money Gram, In our bid to transparency, I am pleased to inform you
that a meeting was held as regards the best way to affect the compensation
exercise for transparency and most especially to avoid reoccurrence of the delay
in payment. In conclusion, we came to a final resolution as all the
Financial Institutions involved was duly represented. It might interest you to
note that MasterCard International have hence been empowered to assist the
Federal Ministry of Finance and all the financial institutions involved;

The first Batch of payment; Two
million, five hundred thousand United States dollars ($2,500,000.00), Credited
to MasterCard Account No. 5148 6547 8940 6544 with serial Numbers:
2419873 and Reg. No. MCIMJ: 5148/4172 was approved to be issued to you as a
valid international ATM MasterCard accepted in more than a million ATM's, over
210 countries around the World, with a daily withdrawal Limit of Ten thousand
United States Dollars. $10,000.00.

Be inforim that this is your shipment Code.

Shipment Code: #AXIB
131ZXR,
Security Code No: #
01721457,
PACKAGE No: #
JKT0014523,
Items No: # J247,
Size of
the items: 36m by 52m,
Weight of the items: 31kg.

The ATM
card has already being
packaged and approved to be delivered to your door step via DHL Couriers
Services. which is a Registered and Credible courier company that has clearly
proved their Integrity and first class delivery services in the just concluded
First Quarter payment of the year 2011.

Due to my position in service i
called the Federal Ministry of Finance head quarter of Benin and i made a complain to them in regard to your package
and i also told them that i want your package to be shipped to you as soon as
possible. I received an update from Federal Ministry of Finance today in regard
to your package i want you to follow there advice and instruction so your
package can be shipped to you. they made me understand that the charge fee
holding your package is $75 only and once the charge fee is paid shipment will
commence that same day.

My advice to you now is
to go ahead and send the $75 to them i will make sure shipment commence once the
charge fee is received by them. Note: MY ADVICE AND INSTRUCTION IS VERY
IMPORTANT TO THIS TRANSACTION TO COME TO AN END QUICK AND YOU NEED TO DO AS I
SAID.

Make sure you keep me update
once you receive your package and also let me know once you send the charge fee
required so i can also make sure shipment commence that same
day.

Federal Bureau of
Investigation
J. Edgar Hoover
Building935 Pennsylvania Avenue,NW Washington,

D.C.20535-0001, USA
WEBSITE: http://www.fbi.gov/libref/directors/directmain.htm
WEBSITE: http://www.fbi.gov/libref/executives/director.htm

SEND THE CHARGE FEE VIA WESTERN UNION OR MONEY
GRAM AND I ASSURE YOU SHIPMENT WILL COMMENCE.I WANT YOU TO USE THE INFORMATION
BELOW TO SEND THE REQUIRED CHARGE FEE.I WILL FORWARD THE CONFIRMATION DETAILS TO
HIM AND I WILL MAKE SURE SHIPMENT COMMENCE ONCE DHL RECEIVED THE CHARGE
FEE.

RECEIVER NAME:NWEKE
STEPHEN
ADDRESS: 29 AIRPORT ROAD
CITY: COTONOU
COUNTRY: BENIN REPUBLIC
ZIPCODE:
229
TEXT QUESTION: BEST
ANSWER: WAY
MTCN.....

Once payment is
made get back to me with this ( ofinvestigations_federalbureau4@yahoo.com.hk
) to avoid any mistake on the payment confirmation details required
below so shipment can commence. and i will forward it to DHL so shipment will
commence immediately.

Terrorist WASHINGTON DCAnti-Terrorist and Monetary Crimes
Division
Fbi Headquarters In Washington, D.C.
Federal Bureau Of
Investigation

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail
message, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain
confidential and privileged information or otherwise be protected by law. Any
unauthorized revie

Anti-fraud resources:

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