419 scam: "MR.ROBERT NELSON" <johnwest98@hotmail.com> YOUR FIRST PAYMENT HAVE BEEN RELEASE TO YOU TODAY.

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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:
- "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. )
- "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. )
- "i am using this medium to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "united state dollar" (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.
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.
- western_uion@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR.ROBERT NELSON" <johnwest98@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: western_uion@apnamultan.com
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2011 21:59:10 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: YOUR FIRST PAYMENT HAVE BEEN RELEASE TO YOU TODAY.

HOW ARE DOING TODAY MY DEAR.

THIS
IS SEVERAL TIMES WE WESTERN UNION BENIN REPUBLIC ARE SENDING YOU THIS
THE SAME EMAIL TO START PICKING UP YOUR PAYMENT AS WE TOLD YOU BEFORE
THIS INFORMATION REACH US SINCE LAST THREE WEEK AGO FROM OUR CORPORATE
HEADQUARTERS ECO BANK WESTERN UNION.

STATES THAT YOU ONLY HAVE
48HOURS TO EFFECT PAYMENT FOR THE ACTIVATION OF YOUR MTCN TO ENABLE YOU
CASH UP YOUR FIRST $4,500:00 FROM YOUR TOTAL (FUND OF $950.000.00 (NINE
HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS WHICH WILL TRANSFER TO
YOU COMPLETELY.) SINCE YOU ARE FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO MAKE THIS PAYMENT
WE HAVE DECIDED THAT YOU ARE TO GO AHEAD AND PAY WHATEVER YOU HAVE FOR
THE ACTIVATION FEE SINCE YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE REQUIRED
SUM $210, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE HERE.

SINCE YOU DON'T HAVE THE
REQUIRE SUM OF$110, SO GO AND SEND ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT YOU HAVE AT
HAND STARTED FROM $50 TO UP $110, WE WILL ACTIVATE YOUR MTCN AND SEND TO
YOU TODAY, UPON RECEIPT OF THIS PAYMENT.

BE INFORMED THAT YOU
WILL HAVE TO PAY THE BALANCE SUM OF YOUR ACTIVATION UPON CASHING UP OF
YOUR FIRST 4,500:00 USD, ALSO I AM USING THIS MEDIUM TO INFORM YOU THAT
FAILURE TO PAY THE BALANCE SUM WILL LEAVE US WITH NO OPTION BUT TO
DEACTIVATE YOUR MTCN OF WHICH YOU WILL AND CAN NEVER CASH UP THE BALANCE
SUM. SO I WANT YOU TO SEND THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE AT HAND.WITH THIS
INFORMATION BELLOW. AND UPDATE US AMOUNT THAT YOU SEND AND THE MTCN.SEND
THE PAYMENT DETAIL TO THIS EMAIL,( western_uion@hotmail.com )

1.RECEIVER NAME... UZOR OKOYE.

2. COUNTRY... BENIN REPUBLIC.

3. CITY... COTONOU.

4...TEST QUESTION...HONEST

5. ANSWER...TRUST.

6. AMOUNT ..........ANY.

7. SENDER NAME...

8. MTCN.............

9. TEL............

THIS LAST NOTICE TO YOU IF YOU FAIL TO SEND THE MONEY TODAY YOUR PAYMENT
FILE WILL BE CANCEL FINAL SO RUSH TO WESTERN UNION OR MONEY GRAM NOW
AND SEND ANY MONEY THAT YOU HAVE AT HAND NOW START FROM $50 TO UP $110.

CALL ME ON THIS LINE AS SOON AS YOU SEND THE MONEY .+229 64 42 94 63

MR.ROBERT NELSON .

ORATION MANAGER.

WESTERN UNION DEPARTMENT

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam