419 scam: "Mr. Steven Smith" <emma_raph2@yahoo.fr> TRANSFER OF FUND THROUGH ATM CARD DEPARTMENT

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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:
- "atm card department" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
- "cost of transfer" (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. )
- "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. )
- "money transfer control number" (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. )
- "tax clearance" (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. )
- "international remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "tax clearance" (Tax offices mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. Even after you pay their fake tax demands you will still not receive the non-existent funds you have been promised. )
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.
MoneyGram money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. Along with Western Union it is a 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.
- +22998465813 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Steven Smith" <emma_raph2@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: stevensmith@qatar.io
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:09:17 +0100 (BST)
Subject: TRANSFER OF FUND THROUGH ATM CARD DEPARTMENT

OFFICE OF THE
ATM CARD DIRECTOR OF OPERATION INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE DEPT, IRD.

ATM SWIFT CARD PAYMENT.FOREIGN OPERATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE
DEPARTMENT.

TRANSFER
OF FUND THROUGH ATM CARD DEPARTMENT

ATTENTION:,

WE WROTE TO INFORM YOU THAT WE RECEIVED YOUR
MAIL AND YOUR HOME ADDRESS AND CONTACT DETAILS IN OUR OFFICE FOR THE RELEASE OF
YOUR FUNDS THROUGH ATM CARD AND WE ARE LEGITIMATE.

YOU MIGHT BE VERY VERSE WITH THE ATM CARD SYSTEM THROUGH THE BANK SYSTEM THAT
ALLOWS BENEFICIARY DIRECT ACCESS TO MAKE WITHDRAWAL OF FUND FROM ANY
INTERNATIONAL OR LOCAL BANKS ATM MACHINES IN THE WORLD.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE WITH THE WORLD BANK AND
IMF (INTERNATIONAL MONITORY FUND) THROUGH UNITED NATION HAS ADOPTED THIS
ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURE OWING TO VARIOUS COMPLAINS/PETITIONS RECEIVED FROM
BENEFICIARIES OWNING TO THE DELAYS IN RECEIVING THEIR CONTRACT/INHERITANCE FUND
AS EXPECTED.

IT MIGHT INTEREST YOU TO NOTE THAT THE ATM CARD SYSTEM OF PAYMENT WAS ADOPTED
TO REDUCE THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROTOCOLS AS REGARDS (COST OF TRANSFER, VAT, TAXES
AND LEVIES), IT WAS ADOPTED TO HELP BENEFICIARY WHO ARE FINANCIALLY DOWN, WHO
ARE NOT CAPABLE TO MEET UP WITH THE OBLIGATION OF PAYING BANKS AS A RESULT OF
FEE ADMINISTRATIVE AND HANDLING CHARGES.

''THE ATM CARD SYSTEM WILL ONLY COST THE BENEFICIARY '''COST OF SHIPMENT AND
TAX CLEARANCE''' VIA UPS COURIER COMPANY.

WE HAVE CONTACTED THE BENIN REPUBLIC UPS
COURIER COMPANY FOR THE DELIVERY OF YOUR ATM CARD TO YOU. HOWEVER, YOU ARE
EXPECTED TO EFFECT THE PAYMENT.

HERE ARE THE BREAKDOWN:

ACTIVATION OF ATM CARD FEES AND TAX CLEARANCE:
US$70

DELIVERY FEES THROUGH THE COURIER COMPANY (EXPRESS SERVICE) IS LISTED BELOW,

THE SHIPMENT METHODS ARE THROUGH COURIER
SERVICES, AND WE HAVE BEEN TO THE THREE COURIER COMPANIES. SEE BELOW THE
COURIER COMPANIES AND THEIR SHIPMENT FEES.

(EXPRESS SERVICE)

Mailing

$25

Documents

$100

Vat

$30

TOTAL

$155

FedEx(EXPRESS SERVICE)

Mailing

$30

Documents

$100

Vat

$80

TOTAL

$210

UPS(EXPRESS SERVICE)

Mailing

$40

Documents

$100

Vat

$

TOTAL

$440

BE
INFORMED THAT FOR YOU TO HAVE THE ATM CARD DELIVERED TO YOU, YOU HAVE TO MAKE
THE PAYMENT OF THE SHIPPING. THEREFORE; I ADVICE YOU TO EFFECT THE PAYMENT VIA
WESTERN UNION OR MONEY GRAM TRANSFER TO OUR OFFICE AS STATED BELOW KNOWING
FULLY WELL THAT UPON THE RECEIPT OF THE SAID FEE, YOU WILL HAVE YOUR ATM CARD
SENT TO YOU AND THE TRACKING NUMBERS GIVEN TO YOU FROM THE COURIER COMPANY,SO
AS TO ENABLE YOU TRACK AND MONITOR THE RECEIPT "ATM CARD"(PARCEL). THIS
FEES IS FOR THE UPS COURIER NOT OUR OFFICE.

RECEIVER'S NAME: EJIKE EMMANUEL

DESTINATION:
BENIN REPUBLIC

TEXT QUESTION: COLOR

TEXT ANSWER: BLUE

AS SOON AS YOU SEND THE DELIVERY CHARGES FEES, YOU SHOULD SEND ME THE PAYMENT
INFORMATION AS FOLLOWS FOR MY CONFIRMATION AND FOLLOW UP:

1. SENDER'S NAME AND ADDRESS

2. MONEY TRANSFER CONTROL NUMBER

3. AMOUNT SENT

YOU CAN CONTACT ME ON +229-98465813, FOR ANY QUESTION OR MORE INQUIRES.

AS SOON AS YOU HAVE DONE THE PAYMENT, SEND THE
PAYMENT INFORMATION ABOVE WITH THE MTCN NUMBER TO OUR OFFICE FOR THE RELEASE OF
YOUR ATM CARD THROUGH THE UPS SERVICE
OFFICE. AND ALSO THE TRACKING NUMBER WILL BE SENT TO YOU, TO TRACK YOUR
PARCEL(ATM CARD) ONLINE.

BE INFORMED THAT YOUR INFORMATION WAS RECEIVED
FOR DIRECT PROGRAMMING OF THE ATM
CARD PAYMENT
CENTER.

TREAT AS URGENT AND MAKE THE PAYMENT TODAY TO
ENABLE THE UPS COURIER SERVICE
DELIVER YOUR (PARCEL) TO YOU THROUGH YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS.

THANKS FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION AND CALL ME WITH MY DIRECT OFFICE MOBILE NUMBER: +229-98465813 FOR VERIFICATION.

YOU ARE TO SEND THE FEES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BEFORE THE DELIVERY OF YOUR ATM
CARD TO YOU TODAY AND ALSO A COPY OF YOUR ATM CARD ISSUED WITH YOUR NAME AND
DETAILS WILL BE SENT TO YOU THROUGH EMAIL ATTACH, AFTER WE HAVE CONFIRM THE
DELIVERY PAYMENT. AND WE CAN NOT DEDUCT THE FEES FROM THE ATM CARD.

IF YOU NO THAT YOU CAN NOT MAKE THE PAYMENT PLEASE YOU CAN STILL
WRITE US AND INFORM US
GOD BLESS

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING YOU BETTER AND GOD BLESS YOU TOO.

THANKS FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION.

YOURS SINCERELY,

MR.STEVEN SMITH.

DIRECTOR OF ATM CARD PAYMENT.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam