419 scam: "UN Office St Thamos" <ambassadorcotonoubenin1@yahoo.in> GOOD NEWS TO YOU

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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:
- "security keeping 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. )
- "the consignment" (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)
- "consignment " (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.
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.
- unitednationoffice822@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "UN Office St Thamos" <ambassadorcotonoubenin1@yahoo.in>
Reply-To: unitednationoffice822@yahoo.fr
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2013 19:05:01 +0800
Subject: GOOD NEWS TO YOU

Good Day Sir/madam,

My name is Lorraine .D. Quetel, i am a citizen of united states working with united nation office here in Virgin Island,united states, pls kindly open the attached scan copy to see my id together with my international pasport to confirm that i am america ctitzen, my dear this is to inform you that a consignment box with a registration and code no un/cd.ow- no 78125 was registered in name here in our office for further delivery to your destination home address,

the consignment box contain your fund the total sum of $5.5million united states dollar which was instructed from the AFRICAN Goverment to send to you as a compensations for your unclaim fund which you did not receive from the Africa Goverment for past few years,

therfore i want you to reconfirm your full names and address together with your telephone numbers and get back to me so that the consignment box will be delivered to your home address within 48hours, already the consignment box is right here in Virgin Island so let me know if you will come by yourself in this office to pick up the box or you want our agent to deliver the box to your home address pls this has to be done within 48hours because the more the box is in this office the more the official security keeping fee will be increaseing,

therefore you should contact us with your full details and let us know when you will come to pick your consignment box here in our office, incase you will not be able to come to our office here in Virgin Island it will cost you the sum of $185 dollar to our UN agent to deliver the consignment box to your home address, thanks and remain bless,

Yours in service
Lorraine Denise Quetel
UN Office St Thamos
Virgin Island United States,
unitednationoffice822@yahoo.fr

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam