419 scam: "MR.EZEH WILLIAMS." <wutransferbenin@gmail.com> REF: MT89TQ

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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 payment department" (this phrase is often used in the ATM card payment scam)
- "moneygram" (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. )
- "you are required 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. )
- "fund beneficiary" (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.
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.

Fraud email example:

From: "MR.EZEH WILLIAMS." <wutransferbenin@gmail.com>
Reply-To: ww.mgtransfer02@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2011 20:21:19 +0900 (KST)
Subject: REF: MT89TQ

Welcome

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FOREIGN OPERATION
MANAGER MONEY
GRAM INT'L.
OFFICE BENIN
REPUBLIC
LOCATION. RUE BPH141 KINGSTON AVENUE COTONOU
BENIN.
REF: MT89TQ

GOOD DAY TO YOU DEAR FUND
BENEFICIARY,

I AM EMAILING YOU SEQUEL TO YOUR E-MAIL,I WANT YOU TO
UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT TRYING TO OFFENDED YOU IN ANYWHERE, BUT ONLY TO MAKE
SURE THAT YOU FOLLOW THE NORMAL PROCESS IN GETTING YOUR INHERITANCE PAYMENT
THROUGH MONEYGRAM AGENTS AND ALSO THE GOVERNMENT INC.COMPANY. AWARDED YOU
THAT YOUR TOTAL SUM OF $1.500.000.00 USD WHICH INSTRUCTED IN THIS OFFICE TO BE
PAID TO YOU THROUGH ATM CARD ,BUT WE CAN NO LONGER COMPLETE THE PAYMENT THROUGH
ATM CARD DUE TO THE PROBLEM OUR ATM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT IS HAVING WITH WORLD BANK
SO YOUR PAYMENT WAS MOVED TO OUR CUSTODY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO YOU VIA MONEY
GRAM. YOU SHOULD STOP DELAYING SIMPLE FOLLOW THIS INSTRUCTION NOW AND YOU WILL
ENJOY YOUR FUND WITHOUT ANY FURTHER STRESS.

NOTE: YOU ARE REQUIRED TO
PAY THE SUM OF $95 USD BEFORE THIS MONEY
GRAM OPERATING BRANCH CAN COMMENCE RECONFIRM YOUR PAYMENT
FILE AND IT WILL SERVE AS THE COST OF SIGNING YOUR PAYMENT FILE TO ENABLE US BE
ABLE TO SEND YOUR INHERITANCE PAYMENT OF $3,000.00 USD DAILY AS IT IS ALLOWED TO
SEND ONLY $3,000.00 ONCE PER DAY, YOU ARE HEREBY INSTRUCT TO GET BACK TO THIS
NOBLE OFFICE WITH THE REQUIRED FEE.I AM
TRUST WORTHY TO NOTIFY YOU THAT YOUR FIRST PAYMENT MUST DEFINITELY GET TO YOUR
HANDS AS SOON YOU SEND THE (USD$95) TODAY OR TOMORROW DEPEND HOW FAST YOU ARE
TO MAKE THE PAYMENT.

YOU ARE TO ANSWER THIS LITTLE TEXT TO CONFIRM THAT
WE ARE HANDLING YOUR INHERITANCE PAYMENT ACCORDING TO THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
PLEASE YOU ARE EXPECTING TO REPLY BACK TO THIS MONEYGRAM OFFICE SO THAT WE
PROCEED AHEAD AND COMMENCE YOUR PAYMENT ONCE YOU RECONFIRM YOUR PERSONAL FILE AS
LISTED BELOW AND SEND THE REQUESTED FEE OF $95USD TODAY WITH THE INSTRUCTION
BELOW.

FULL
NAME.......................
PHONE......................... ........
HOME
ADDRESS..............
COUNTRY.......................
...
CITY.......................... ..........
SECRET
QUESTION.......
ANSWER........................ ....

USE THE
INFORMATION BELOW TO SEND THE MANDATORY REQUIRE FEE TOTAL SUM OF $95.00 VIA
MONEYGRAM TO ENABLE US PICK IT FROM OUR DEPARTMENT HERE AND RECONFIRM YOUR
PAYMENT FILE APPROVAL FROM THE FEDERAL
MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND COMMERCE YOUR DAILY PAYMENT OF
$3,000.00 TO YOU.

RECEIVER NAME::::::::::::MGBATA SEIMON
AMECHI,

COUNTRY::::::::::::::::::::: BENIN REPUBLIC.
Question.............God
Answer...............Bless
AMOUNT:::::::::::::::::::::::$ 95. 00 USD.

AS SOON AS YOU
RECEIVED THIS EMAIL KINDLY COMPLY WITH THIS INSTRUCTIONS AND BE REST ASSURE THAT
YOUR PAYMENT WILL COMMERCE IMMEDIATELY BY THIS OFFICE ONCE WE CONCLUDE
RECONFIRMING YOUR PAYMENT FILE FROM THE RIGHT OFFICE,WE ARE HERE TO PROTECT THE
INTEGRITY AND IMAGE OF THIS MONEYGRAM YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT DELAYING CAN BE
VERY DANGEROUS AND MAY COURSE YOU MISFORTUNE IN RECEIVING YOUR FUND,YOU DO NOT
HAVE TO WAIT ANY LONGER .SINCE THIS OFFICE IS MAKING ALL NECESSARY ARRANGEMENT
TO BE SURE THAT YOUR PAYMENT IS BEEN COMMENCE ONCE WE CONFIRM THE REQUESTED
PAYMENT AND INFORMATION.

YOU SHOULD GO AHEAD TO SEND US THAT REQUIRED
(95.00 USD) AND BE REST ASSURED THAT WITHIN 24 HOURS YOUR MONEY WILL BE CONFIRM
TO YOUR ADDRESS AND YOU WILL CASH IT FROM ANY OF OUR CORRESPONDENT MONEYGRAM
BRANCH THERE IN YOUR COUNTRY BE REST ASSURE OF THIS MONEYGRAM OFFICE INTEGRITY
AND PERSONAL INTEGRITY.

URGENT RESPOND NEEDED
FROM YOU.

THANKS FOR YOUR
PATRONAGE,
YOURS
SINCERELY,
MR.EZEH
WILLIAMS.
FOREIGN OPERATION
MANAGER
MONEY GRAM OFFICE BENIN
REPUBLIC

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam