419 scam: "MR. DAVID Scott" <officemark33@yahoo.com.ph> CONTACT URGENT FOR YOUR PAYMENT NOW.

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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:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "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. )
- "to your nominated bank account" (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)
- "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)
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.
- +22999476930 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- westerndepartment82@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR. DAVID Scott" <officemark33@yahoo.com.ph>
Reply-To: westerndepartment82@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:56:53 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: CONTACT URGENT FOR YOUR PAYMENT NOW.

Welcome to Western Union®,
Send Money Worldwide,
Western Union®.
Western Union® Money Transfer,
Fast, Easy, Reliable Online Transfer.

Dear Sir/Madam,

This is to bring to your notice that I am delegated from the UnitedNations(UN)/International Monetary Fund (IMF) To Western Union®Inc. topay 100 scam victims £1.500,000.00 (ONE MILLON ,FIVE HUNDREDTHOUSANDBRITSH POUNDS ) each. You are listed and approved for thispayment asone of the scammed victims to be paid this amount, get backto me assoon as possible for the immediate payment of your £1.500,000.00compensation funds. There is an issue with the WESTERN UNION®MONEYTRANSFER in the amount of £1.500, 000.00 (POUNDS) directed incashcredited to file KTU/9023118308/03, for the owner of thisemailaddress. The UNITED NATIONS/INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND contactedusfor your compensation a couple of hours ago due to yourallocatedsecurity code.

They saidthat they choose to send it to an email address instead of a name.Weare unable to complete a transfer directed at an email address, so we require some more information in order to complete this transfer.

FULL NAME:
FULL CONTACT ADDRESS:
MOBILE PHONE NUMBER:
FAX NUMBER:
OCCUPATION:
PHOTOGRAPH:
MARITAL STATUS AND AGE:

E-mail via Western Union® Solicitors Fund Verification Department:

Contact name: Mr. JOHN . SCOTT ON THIS E-MAIL VERY URGENT NOW FOR RELEASE OF YOUR FUND TO YOU,OR CALL HE NOW.

Email: westerndepartment82@hotmail.com
Phone: +229-99-47-69-30

Onthisfaithful recommendations, we want you to know that during thelastU.N./IMF meetings held this week, it was alarming so much inthemeetings on the lose of funds by various individuals to thescamsartists operating in syndicates all over the world today. In othertocompensate victims, the U.N / IMF Body in conjunction with theWESTERNUNION® INC. is now paying 100 victims of this operation £1.500,000.00each in accordance with the U.N. /IMF recommendations.

Duetothe corrupt and inefficient Banking Systems in Benin Republic,thepayments are to be supervised and carried out by our dearinstitution(WESTERN UNION® INC.). According to the number of applicantsathand,(89) Beneficiaries has been paid, half of the victims are fromtheUnited States, Europe and Asia, and we still have more 11 left tobepaid the compensation of £1.500, 000.00 each.

As soon asthisinformation is received, and you have complied with therequirements ofpayment of the Western Union® International RemittanceFile (IRF),payment will be made to your nominated bank account or atthe counterdirectly from The Western Union® Transferring Bank byupgrading MTCN inyour name in our Database. When emailing, please usereference number250-153 for our mutual convenience.

PLEASE NOTE: According to Western Union® policy, we can only pay you £500,000.00 THREE times daily from the issued MTCN NUMBER.

Sincerely,
Mrs Faith Johnson
Financial Bank Benin Republic.
Western Union Payments Department.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam