419 scam: Western Union Money Transfer <j_amescool1462@verizon.net> Your Urgent Reply Is Needed

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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. )
- "transfer of your funds" (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)
- "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.
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.
- +22998124062 (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.
- fedbuinvestg@sify.com (Sify; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: Western Union Money Transfer <j_amescool1462@verizon.net>
Reply-To: westernunionmo@hosanna.net
Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:16:07 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Your Urgent Reply Is Needed



Anti-Terrorist and Monitory Crimes
Division.
Federal Bureau Of
Investigation.
J. Edgar.
Hoover
Building
Washington
D.C
http://www.fbi.gov/libref/directors/directmain.htm

Attention: Dear
Neneficiary,

                    FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
FBI.WASHINGTON DC.

FBI SEEKING TO WIRETAP INTERNET.

We the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) Washington DC decided to write a message to you concerning
the situation of the Transfer of your FUNDS From BENIN REPUBLIC through the
Director MR. JAMES FRANK. DIRECTOR GENERAL. Furthermore, we the (FBI) are
concerned with every transaction/ Transfer and we have received message and
confirm it through our investigation that your Transfer in MR. JAMES FRANK.
Which needed to be Transfer to you has never met to their demand by making
available to them their Dispatching fee of $77.

Now we send this
message to you to remind you to act fast and have this fee send to them
immediately to enable this Transfer take immediately effect without further
delay on this. We are the AGENCY concerned every wire transaction holding
through INTERNET. And to avoid prolongation/abandoning of this Transfer you are
now instructed to have this required fee make available to them immediately
without much time wasted on it.

Furthermore, you are holding a lot of
transaction at hand, Now we instruct you to go on first and finalise your
Transfer with the MR. JAMES FRANK. first before embarking on any other
transaction did you hear what we said? Be advice to stop every transaction and
go on and finalise MR. JAMES FRANK. with their Transfer first that is our
instruction for you. Note also, you are mandated as from now to forward to us
every message you receive in respect to this transaction send it for us to view
it direct you as well on what to do to avoid you been scam by fraudsters do we
make our self clear?.

So you are advised to contact MR. JAMES FRANK.
OF BENIN REPUBLIC with the information below:

Contact person Director
MR. JAMES FRANK
Email address: westuniond@sifymail.com

Phone Number: +229 98124062
FAX NUMBER: +229
93164387

You can send the fee through this information

Receiver Name------ Arinze
Okagbue

Country ------Benin Republic

City-------------Cotonou

Text Question----- A

Answer----------B

Sender,S Name ---------------

M.T.C.N---------------------

Amount
-------$77

Now we will wait for your update message immediately and remember
to act accordingly to avoid being in trouble with us.

Best Regards,

FBI
Director
Robert S. Mueller,
III.
Executive
Director
Federal Bureau of
Investigation
J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C.
20535-0001, USA
Email: fedbuinvestg@sify.com

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication and its attachments may
contain non-public, confidential or legally privileged information. The unlawful
interception, use or disclosure of such information is prohibited. If you are
not the intended recipient, or have received this communication in error, please
notify the sender immediately by reply email and delete all copies of this
communication and attachments without reading or saving them

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam