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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:

Fraud email example:

From: WESTERN UNION OFFICE <peze31@yahoo.com.ph>
Reply-To: w.u.t.benin@live.com
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:44:02 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: RE: URGENT RESPOND NEEDED


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FAST,  RELIABLE, WORLDWIDE MONEY TRANSFER: WESTERN UNION HEAD
OFFICE DEPARTMENT
 REPUBLIC OF BENIN.  FOREIGN CONTRACTOR PAYMENT
OFFICE
 WEB SITE: www.westernunion.com

 EMAIL: w.u.t.benin@live.com
 

 Dear Esteemed  Customer,
 
 What is going on, Who is
Douglas William? I was trying to get you on phone  regarding your US$1.5M but it
seems as you don't want to pick my  call.  However, this Douglas William visited
my office this morning with a lawyer From U.K and application of claim over your
$1.5Million USD, with this financial institution.
 
 Please,  do confirm
to me, as a matter of urgency if this man is really from you so that  this
office will not be held responsible for paying wrong person.  Based  on board of
directors meeting today, they have concluded to approve the payment  on his
favor since you failed to fulfill the neccessary obligation given to you  by the
western union to process your payment. Therefore, if you are really  serious and
willing to receive the first $5,000 through western union, kindly  get back to
me and I will work with you to complete the western union payment  processing
fees so that you will start receiving $5,000 everyday.
 
 Since  Western
Union Payment processing fee is 175$, in my concerted efforts to  actualize your
fund payment with the convenient time schedule I will raise $200, so I am
expecting $75 from you today.
 
 Please note that the  reason why I
decided to help you pay part of the money is because I don't want  your Funds to
be forfeited by this government or be transfered to the wrong  person, And I
know that when you receive your total sum of US$1.5M, definitely  you must
compensate me.
 
 As an insider in this Financial Institution, I  must
assure you that once you have provided to the Bank with their demands, they 
would now be under legal obligation to transfer the unds to you within 6hours 
we confirm this $75. YES, you must surely receive the first $5,000 within
6hours  after you send this $75.
 
 However, as a matter of urgency, you
are advised to hurry up and  send the $75 dollars TODAY so that i will have it
completed with the $200 i have  at hand right now to enable us process your
payment file so that we will start
 sending your daily payment of $5,000 to
you ok!.
 
 Kindly make the payment  to:
 
 Receiver: Udezuo 
Emmanuel.
 Test Question: Who Is
 Great Answer: God
 Amount:
$75
 COUNTRY – BENIN  REPUBLIC.
 CITY– COTONOU
 
I will like you to 
co-operate with me to retrieve this legacy payment left behind than allowing
the  government of this country to forfeit it. I believed it is a life time 
opportunity which every reasonable human-being will never allow to slip by. We 
do business each day with an absolute commitment to ethics, honesty and 
credibility.
 
 Am waiting for your urgent response.
 
  Be 
warned!, Earlier the better...

 Yours Faithfully,
 
 REV. COLLINS COLE.
 WESTERN
UNION HEAD OFFICE
 DEPARTMENT
 FOREIGN CONTRACTOR PAYMENT OFFICE
 OUR
CONDUCT CODE ( 303/2011)

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