419 scam: "REV. DR. RICHARD BRUNO" <bendusman444@gmail.com> Re Your First Payment Sent

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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:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "activation 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. )
- "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. )
- "huge amount of money" (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)
- "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
- "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.
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.

Fraud email example:

From: "REV. DR. RICHARD BRUNO" <bendusman444@gmail.com>
Reply-To: western_ub@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:21:21 +0530 (IST)
Subject: Re Your First Payment Sent

Welcome to
Western
Union:

Send Money
Worldwide
FROM THE
DESK OF WESTERN
UNION REMITTANCE DEPT
Our
Ref:WUMT0XX2/987
Website.www.westernunion.com

PHONE
NUMBER: +22998892244

Attn:

I am very sorry for my late
response, we were very busy programming the entire funds for daily pick of
$5,000.00, we did receive the your email, I write to let you know that we have
successfully programmed the entire funds into our system to enable you pick up
$5,000.00 daily, we will send you different MTCN every morning until the total
amount valued of $1.5 M is completely transferred to you.

The funds transfers are all in
place for you to collect but we have to activate your entire payment due to the
huge amount of money involves,

Today transfer details are:

SENDERS FIRST NAME:
FIFAME
SENDERS SURNAME: KPOVIANOU
SENT FROM: Benin Repulic
TEST
QUESTION: TRUST
ANSWER: God
AMOUNT: 5,000.00
MTCN 6502128482

We advise that you visit our
website www.westernunion.com a nd go to track, put in
the senders name ( FIFAME KPOVIANOU) and control number 6502128482, you will see that the money is available for you to
pick up, but you cannot receive the money without activation of the transfer due
to the large amount involve, the activation fee is $75
dollars.

Therefore, you need to pay the
activation fee today, which will cost you $180.00 only, I will advise you to
make this payment immediately your receive this e_mail so that this western
union office will release your fund today.

The reason why we need you to send
us the activation fee is that we tried to deduct the activation fee out from
your fund but the minister administrator trust fund of Benin republic told us
that no one has access over your fund as it have been signed and stamped that no
money should be deducted until it gets to you to avoid any misunderstanding
because if any one has access to that it will involve you losing your fund, no
one has to be trust even your mother or your father.
You are advice to send
this $75 activation fee via western union money transfer to our cashier
receiver name mentioned below:

RECEIVER NAME :Uzor Okoye

COUNTRY: BENIN REPUBLIC

City; Cotonou
TEST QUESTION: RED
ANSWER: WHITE
AMOUNT: $75

Please send the money transfer
control number(mtcn) along with your full senders name as shown on the western
union receipt, once we receive this we shall activate the payment and you will
immediately start receiving your funds after activation.

You are advice to comply immediately
you receive this mail to enable us carry out our duties effectively and urgent
as we have schedule because all necessary arrangement has been completed in our
end. Immediately we receive the activation fee today, we will activate your
entire transfer valued of $1.5million and commence with the release of your
daily payment $5,000 each morning until your fund is completely transferred to
you.

We are waiting for your speedy
response together with the payment details today to enable us conclude.

Yours truly
REV. DR. RICHARD BRUNO
Tel:+22998892244
For Western Union Department
Ecobank.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam