419 scam: "JOHN BEN"<west_ernu@yahoo.com.br> You can now pick up your first payment of $5,000 call +22998118224

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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:
- "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. )
- "million dollars" (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.
- +22998118224 (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.
- westernunionoffi@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "JOHN BEN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <westernunionoffi@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2014 03:24:39 -0700
Subject: You can now pick up your first payment of $5,000 call +22998118224

ATTN: MY
THIS IS TO INFORM YOU THAT THE AMERICA EMBASSY OFFICE WAS INSTRUCTED
TO TRANSFER YOUR FUND $1.3M U.S DOLLARS COMPENSATING ALL THE SCAM
VICTIMS AND YOUR EMAIL WAS FOUND AS ONE OF THE VICTIMS. BY AMERICA
SECURITY LEADING TEAM AND AMERICA REPRESENTATIVE OFFICERS SO BETWEEN
TODAY THE 04TH OF June TILL 5TH OF Augs 2014 YOU WILL BE RECEIVING THE
SUM OF $5000DOLLARS PER DAY. HOWEVER BE INFORMED THAT WE HAVE ALREADY
SENT THE $5,000 DOLLARS THIS MORNING TO AVOID CANCELLATION OF YOUR
PAYMENT,Your Payment REMAIN THE TOTAL SUM OF $1.3Million Dollars.

YOU HAVE ONLY SIX HOURS TO CALL THIS OFFICE UPON THE RECEIPT OF THIS
EMAIL THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT YOU WILL BE RECEIVING PER A DAY STARTING FROM
TODAY'S $5,000 AND THE MONEY TRANSFER CONTROL NUMBER OF TODAY IS BELOW.

NOTE; THE SENT $5,000 IS ON HOLD BECAUSE OF THE INSTRUCTION FROM IMF
OFFICE, THEY ASKED US TO PLACE IT ON HOLD BY REQUESTING THE (CLEAN
BILL RECORD CERTIFICATE) IN ORDER TO FULFILL ALL THE 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
(CLEANBILLRECORD CERTIFICATE)

BELOW IS THE INFORMATION OF TODAY TRACK IT IN OUR WEBSITE TO SEE IS
AVAILABLE TO PICK UP BY THE RECEIVER, BUT IF WE DIDN'T HERE FROM YOU
SOON WE'LL PICKUP IT UP FROM LINE FOR SECURITY REASON TO AVOID HACKERS
STEALING THE MONEY ONLINE.

MONEY TRANSFER CONTROL NUMBER(M.T.C.N):: 379-020-8020
MTCN::::::::::::::::::::379-020-8020
SENDERS FIRST NAME:::::: :Sherlana
SENDERS SECOND NAME::::: Sam
TEST QUESTION::::::::::: RECOVER
ANS TEXT :::::::::::::::FUND
WE NEED THE BELOW DETAILS FROM YOU, TO ENABLE US PLACE THE PAYMENT TO
YOUR NAME AND TRANSFER THE FUND TO YOU.
(FULL RECEIVERS NAME)......
(YOUR COUNTRY)......
( ADDRESS).......
(PHONE NUMBER)......
(YOUR AGE)............
(OCCUPATION )........
(A COPY OF YOUR ID CARD)......
FURTHERMORE YOU ARE ADVISED TO CALL US AS THE INSTRUCTION WAS PASSED
THAT WITHIN 6HOURS WITHOUT HEARING FROM YOU, COUNT YOUR PAYMENT
CANCELED.

NUMBER TO CALL IS BELOW LISTED MANAGER DIRECTOR OFFICE OF RELEASE ORDER:
+22998118224
(westernunionoffi@yahoo.com)
MR JOHN BEN

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Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam