419 scam: "Money Gram Benin Republic"<moneygramtransfer@ymail.com> Re: Cancelled: GOOD NEWS FROM MONEY GRAM OFFICE

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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. )
- "moneygram" (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. )
- "i am using this medium to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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.
MoneyGram money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. Along with Western Union it is a 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.
- +2293 (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.
- moneygramoffice2250@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Money Gram Benin Republic" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <moneygramoffice2250@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2013 04:26:52 +0100
Subject: Re: Cancelled: GOOD NEWS FROM MONEY GRAM OFFICE

Attn; beneficiary,

Information reaching us from our corporate head quarters now, states that
you only have three days to effect payment for the activation of your
payment documents to enable you cash up your first $5,000.00 from your
total fund. Since you are finding it very difficult to make this payment
we have decided that you are to go ahead and pay what ever you have, not
less than $57.00 for the activation fee since you are not able to come up
with the required sum, time is of the essence here.

You are to pay what ever you have for the activation fee, we will activate
your payment documents and forward to you the attachment of your first
payment of $5,000.00 upon the receipt of this payment, be informed that
you will have to pay the balance sum of your activation upon cashing up of
your first $5,000.00, 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 Ref# Number of which you will and can
never cash up the balance sum.

I want you to send the activation fee with the information bellow.
Email... (moneygramtra@ymail.com)

1. Receiver name...... Frank Uchenna Chinwuba

2. Country... … . Benin Republic .

Country postal code… +229

3. City... … Cotonou .

4...test question...honest

5. Test answer: trust.

6. Amount.......... You can pay any amount you have not less than $57.00.
Send us the Ref# number as soon as you send the money and immediately
we confirm the transfer fee we will send you the payment receipt of your
First $5000.00 today and not tomorrow.

Yours in services
Mr. Uzondu Christian
E-mail: moneygramoffice2250@gmail.com
Money Gram Benin Republic

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam