419 scam: "MR.JOHN DAVID." <officefine44@gmail.com> Pick up your $4,500usd immediately. Call +229-68-450-337.

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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:
- "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. )
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.
- +22968450337 (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.
- w_union101@yahoo.com (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR.JOHN DAVID." <officefine44@gmail.com>
Reply-To: w_union101@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:10:42 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Pick up your $4,500usd immediately. Call +229-68-450-337.

Attention Dear,

Â

This is to inform you
that the America Embassy
office was instructed to transfer your fund $985,000.00 U.S Dollars
compensating all the SCAM VICTIMS, and your email was found as one of the
VICTIMS by the America
security leading team and Americaâ€™s
representative officers. So between today the 28th of November till 23th Of Dec
2012 you will be receiving the sum of $4,500 dollars per day. However be
informed that we have already sent the $4,500 dollars this morning to avoid
cancellation of your payment, remaining the total sum of $980,500.00.

Â

You have only six
hours to call this office upon the receipt of this email the maximum amount you
will be receiving per day â€œstarting from today is $4,500 and the Money Transfer
Control Number of today is below.

Â

NOTE; The sent $4,500
is on hold because of the instruction from US Embassyâ€™s Delegates, they asked
us to place it on hold by requesting the (Clean Bill Record Certificate) in
order to fulfill all necessary obligation to avoid any hitches while sending
you the payment through Western Union money transfer, the necessary obligation
i mean here is to obtain the (Clean Bill Record Certificate).

Â

Below is the
information of today, you may not be able to track it in our website
www.westernunion.com , because the obligation has not been carried out. We
havenâ€™t effected it online for security reasons, to avoid hackers stealing the
money online.

Â

1)Sender First
Name:::: Charles

2)Senders Last
Name::: Donald

3)MTCN Number:::
613-0251-864

4)Text Question:::
Time

5)Answer:::6hrs

6)Amount::: $4,500.00

Â

We need the below
details from you, to enable us fully activate the payment to your name for it
to reflect in your country's western union branch office, and to update our
file records:

Â

1. YOUR FULL
NAMES:=========

2. Postal
ADDRESS:==========

3. PHONE
NUMBER:============

4. CELL
NUMBERS:============

5. EMAIL
ADDRESS:===========

6.
SEX:=====================

7.
AGE:=====================

8.
OCCUPATION:==============

9.
NATIONALITY:=============

Â

Furthermore you are
advised to call us as the instruction was passed that within 6hours without
hearing from you, Consider your payment canceled. Number to call is the below
listed managing director's office of the release order:+229-68-450-337. Email
them viaÂ ( w_union101@yahoo.com ) immediately!!!

Â

Thanks

MR.JOHN DAVID.

(Western
Union Mgr Benin Rep. )

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam