419 scam: "Western union" <wuenquire@mail.com> Re-activation Payment

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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:
- "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. )
- "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)
- "western.unionoutlet@live.hk" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
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.
- +2347053859841 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Western union" <wuenquire@mail.com>
Reply-To: western.unionoutlet@live.hk
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2011 23:18:25 +0100 (WAT)
Subject: Re-activation Payment

How are you doing today?

I write to inform you that we have already sent you $5000.00 US Dollars
through Western union as we have been given the mandate to transfer your
full benefited sum of $100,000.00USD starting from 03/01/2011 to the
28-03-2011 via our office here (Western Union) by the United nations in
conjunction with the Nigeria Government as a compensation to those who
have victim of scam mails from Nigeria.

I called to give you the information through phone as internet hackers
were many but I cannot reach you yesterday even this morning. So, I
decided to email you the MTCN and sender name so that can pick up this
$5000.00 USD to enable us send another $5000.00USD by tomorrow as you
knows we will be sending you only $5000.00USD per day.

The money is available for pick up but cannot be cash due to security
reasons, which was deposited for transfer to you by one Mr. Victor Perez
from United nations in conjunction with the Nigeria Government as a
compensation payment of all scam victim, the money is available, for pick
up by receiver (you) but you can not be pay the money due to its
restriction from our head office in UK, which was a security measure
because the money has been in the air for 18 days now and maybe in danger,
hence the MTCN has to be reactivated to enable you cash out the money in
any western union office in your area, the reactivation of the MTCN will
cost you a token of $75 US Dollars, once this is paid, our head office
will release the fund on hold to enable you cash it. To be sure of this is
real please log on to www.westernunion.com and click on track to check
the status of the money.

MTCN: 3814948938
Sender's Fist name: Perry
Sender's Last Name: Poston
Question:When
Answer: Now
Amount: $5000.00USD

With due respect please get back to us urgently after tracking the money
online so that we can provide you on how to send the $75 to us for the
reactivation of the MTCN.

Thanks
Best Regards
REV Sheryl L. Cincush.
Email: western.unionoutlet@live.hk
Phone: +2347053859841
Western Union® Money Transfer

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam