419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

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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. )
- "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. )
- "are expected to pay " (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. )
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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)
- "federal republic of benin" (Benin, Cameroon, etc. are no Federal Republics, unlike Nigeria where this type of scam was invented)
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.
- +229 (Benin, probably a 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.
- westerunionoffice13@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR.FRANK WILLIAMS" <g112@globomail.com>
Reply-To: westerunionoffice13@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2012 09:08:56 +0100 (BST)
Subject: =?utf-8?B?WU9VUiBJTU1FRElBVEUgQVRURU5USU9OIFdJTEwgQkUgQVBSRUNJQVRFRA==?=
=?utf-8?B?4oCP4oCPLg==?=

ATTENTION MY DEAR,
THE BOARD OF FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE BENIN REPUBLIC
ARE HEREBY TO NOTIFY YOU OF YOUR PAYMENT INHERITANCE FUNDS OF (1.5M.000)
USA$AFTER THE MEETING HELD ON 23TH OF JULYÂ 2012. HIS EXCELLENCE THE PRESIDENT OF
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF BENIN (DR YAYI BONI) HAS INSTRUCTED THIS DEPARTMENT TO SEND
YOUR FUNDS THROUGH OUR BRANCH, SKY BANK PLC WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER FOR
EASY RECEIVE OF YOUR INHERITANCE FUNDS WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY TO AVOID PAYING
MONEY TO THE FRAUD STARS THAT IS GOING ON THROUGH COURIER
COMPANY.

Â

THIS IS TO NOTIFY ALL OUR YOU ABOUT THE LATEST
DEVELOPMENT CONCERNING ALL THE PAYMENT THAT ARE LEFT IN OUR CUSTODY,WHICH YOURS
ARE INCLUSIVE BESIDES, YOUR WHERE GIVEN A BILL OF $65,IN ORDER TO RECEIVE YOUR
PAYMENT OF WHICH WE DIDNâ€™T HEAR FROM YOU FOR SOMETIME NOW......
Â
HENCE,
OUR WESTERN UNIONÂ IS NOW OFFERING A SPECIAL BONUS TO HELP ALL OUR CUSTOMERS
THAT ARE HAVING THEIR PAYMENTÂ IN OUR CUSTODY DUE TO OF PRICES. IN ORDER WORDS
WE ARE NOW REQUESTING THAT THOSE INVOLVE SHOULD PAY ONLY THE SUM OF $65. 00 TO
RECEIVE ALL THEIR PAYMENT ABANDONED IN OUR CUSTODY.
Â
BESIDES, MY DEAR,
THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU AND HAVE TO COMPLY AND YOUR FUNDSÂ SHALL BE
TRANSFER TO YOUR DESGINATED ADDRESS. BUT REMEMBER THAT AFTER (3 DAYS) YOU DID
NOT MAKE THE PAYMENT THEN WE WILL DIVERT YOUR FUNDS TO GOVERMENT FUND, TO AVIOD
PROBLEM OR WE WILL CANCEL THE PAYMENT FOR THIS YEAR UNTILL NEXT YEARÂ BECAUSE
THIS YEAR IS NOT LIKE LAST YEAR.
Â
AGAIN AFTER (THREE DAYS ) WE WILL ENTER
A NEW PROJECTÂ Â FOR THE YEAR AND THAT IS THE REASON WHY WE DECIDED TO HELP TO
ALL OUR CUSTOMERS BEFORE WE ENTER INTO THE NEW PROJECT. SO BEÂ ADVISE TO SEND
THE $65.00 IMMEDIATELY SO THAT WE WILL REGISTER YOUR PAYMENT AND FOR TO START
RECEIVE $5000 AS FROM TOMORROW.
Â
BE ADVISE THAT THERE IS NO TIME AGAIN
FOR WE TO CALL ANY PERSON ON PHONE UNLESS YOU WILL CALL +229,Â 67542733 / MR.FRANK WILLIAMS AFTER THE PAYMENT OF $65.00 YOU WILL
START RECEIVEING YOUR MONEY EVERYÂ DAY$5,000 THROUGH WESTERN UNION SEND THE
MONEY THROUGH WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER WITH THE INFORMATION BELOW, INDICATE
YOUR PAYMENT FILE CODE OF (#01-174) TO THEM WHEN CONTACT ING OR CALLING
THEM.EXTRA MAIL ADDRESS:(westerunionoffice13@gmail.com)

NOTE THAT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO PAY
ONLY $65.00 FOR RE-NEWING AND RECOFIRMING YOUR FILE AND YOU ARE TO PAY IT TO
BENIN REPUBLIC AS THE ORIGINATION OF THE FUND IN FAVOUR OFÂ MR.ONYEKA FRANCIS.
AS OUR ACCOUNTANT OFFICER IN BENIN REPUBLIC SEND THE $65.00Â THROUGH WESTERN
UNION ONCE YOU RECEIVE THIS MAIL WITH THE INFORMATION BELOW FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE OF YOUR FUNDS,
Â
THE PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS:
Â Â Â Â Â RECEIVER
NAME:............MR.ONYEKA FRANCIS

COUNTRY:................................BENIN
REPUBLIC
CITY:..........................COTONOU
TEXT
QUESTION:............TO WHOM
TEXT
ANSWER:..............FRANCIS

Â
THE MOMENT I RECEIVE THE PAYMENT OF $65 I WILL RELEASE
THE FIRST PAYMENT INFORMATIONS OF $5,000 TO YOU AND YOU WILL PICK UP THE MONEY
AND I WILL SEND YOU ANOTHER MONEY.. HOPING TO HEAR FROM YOU.

Â
INFORMATION.ALSO YOU ARE REQUIRED BY
THIS DEPARTMENT TO SEND THE RENEWING & RECONFIRMING OF YOUR FILE CHARGES OF
$65.00 DOLLAR TO SKY BANK PLC WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER TO HELP THE RENEW
& RECONFIRM YOU FILE THAT WAS DEPOSITED IN THE BANK ALONG WITH YOUR NAME AND
ADDRESS BELOW.
BENEFICIAREY
NAME:.....................
ADDRESS:.....................................
TEL
PHONE:....................................
AGE:...........................................
SEX:........................................
YOUR
PICTURE:...............................

PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL ME ON +229 67542733 AS
SOON AS YOU THE FEE AND AS WELL SENDING ME AN E-MAIL ON THE ALTERNATIVE ABOVE
WITH THE MTCN NUMBER.

BEST
REGARDS.
MR.FRANK WILLIAMS

CALL ME ON +229 67542733

MINISTRY FINANCE.WESTERN UNION
OFFICE BENIN :

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam