419 scam: Embassy office in Benin <sunflower19771@verizon.net> Your first $3,500. Available to pick up by receiver

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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:
- "required 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. )
- "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. )
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.
- +22999971976 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: Embassy office in Benin <sunflower19771@verizon.net>
Reply-To: western-union0100@ws.tc
Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2010 01:53:44 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Your first $3,500. Available to pick up by receiver

Happy Easter

This is the Embassy office in Benin Republic West Africa. I am hereby inform you that your payment have located to the Embassy Office here and sent to you from the Western Union department this morning, all your payment transferring Papers were completed now, and your first payment has been sent to you this morning in the Amount of $3,500. but only fee you will pay now is for Immunity Official Stamp, which cost sum $94.00, that is what you need to do and start picking up your payment without any further delay because all the necessary Papers were completed.

You should Track your first Payment with www.westernunion.com then you will see track and click it, when it open you will see the 3 widows where you will write the MTCN Number, sender first and second name below,

MTCN: 5227280250
Sender First Name: Saifon
Sender Second Name: Rueanghora

Then You will see your first $3,500. Available to pick up by receiver which is you as it sent to your name.
You should track this MTCN first: 5227280250, and send the required fee of $94.00 immediately, in order to Stamp the Immunity Payment Slip, then you will go direct to the Western Union and pick up your payment and get back to us for further sending the rest of Fund to you and your total money your going to pick is $250,000.00.

You should send the fee below this information

Receiver;--------Nnakee chukwuebuka
Country; -----------Benin Republic.
Question-----------trust
Answer; --------------Good.
Amount; --------------$94.00

Do not delay any further to send the fee, to enable you to pick up the first payment within 5hours you send the payment to us and start sending you the rest as i said call us once you send the payment or if you have any question you can call also to ask +229-999-71-976 and within 2days if we do not receive this payment we will pick the transfer up until we receive the payment we fix it back to you.

Yours Sincerely
MR. Stanley Chin /+229-999-71-976
The Embassy in Republic of Benin. West African.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam