419 scam: WESTERN UNION DEPARTMENT HEAD OFFICE <information.q400@gmail.com> WESTERN UNION DEPARTMENT HEAD 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:

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. )
- "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. )
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.

Fraud email example:

From: WESTERN UNION DEPARTMENT HEAD OFFICE <information.q400@gmail.com>
Reply-To: WESTERN UNION DEPARTMENT HEAD OFFICE <financialbank.westernunionoffice@ymail.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2015 18:31:49 +0900 (JST)
Subject: WESTERN UNION DEPARTMENT HEAD OFFICE

WESTERN UNION DEPARTMENT HEAD OFFICE
48400-00100, Nairobi Kenya.

Dear Customer ,

This transaction is real & legal.

Western Union Money Transfer is responding to
your mail just to let you know the reason you have not received your fund since its transfer
approval, As a matter of fact; we have verified so many things about
your fund and the reason you have not received any money from Kenya
Western Union Bureau was because of International Funds Transfer
Permit. So, based on my present verification, a transfer permit
document is needed and should be presented to the Federal Ministry of
Finance for immediate release of all the documents backing the
transfer. Because; all the necessary documents that guarantees the
legal transferring of the funds are seized by the finance minister.

Your funds are to be covered by International Funds Transfer Permit,
and no person authorized to change or add to any obligations under
this transfer permit. Obligations for service and parts under this
transfer permit must be performed by Western Union Money Transfer
using it as directed bylaw guiding international funds
transfer.........All other documents are intact except the
International Funds Transfer Permit.

Therefore, I want to let you know that this International Funds
Transfer Permit is the only thing delaying your $2.500.000.00USD in
our Western Union Money Transfer System and as soon as you pay the
fee, I shall obtain the funds transfer paper and you will now start
receiving the transfer on the expected amount of $15,000 every day by
receiving in splits of $3,500 on each transfer.

If not for request of International Funds Transfer Permit you would
have started receiving your daily transfer. Today, a transfer attempt
was made but you are not allowed to pick the transfer until the
documents is submitted to the Kenya Rep, financial authority.
And the requested fee for the International Funds Transfer Permit is
$99 usd for the securing of it and once the fee is sent your $3.500
will be released for immediate pick up immediately for another to be
sending down because the payment is a lot.
You are to send $99 cost to procure the transfer permit to the
following information;

PAYMENT INFO/DETAILS TO USE ON THE TRANSFER WESTERN UNION OR MONEY
GRAM PAYMENT INFORMATION:

Receiver name::: oragbune Basile
City; Nairobi
Country; Kenya Republic
Address: 48400-00100, Nairobi Kenya
Amount; $99
Question; Color
Answer; Blue

Send the $99 by Western Union for our immediate action. You will pick
up the $3,500 within few hours after you paid the fee required from
you for the International Funds Transfer Permit.

Western Union is a service people trust; save time, send money, earn rewards!
Best Regards,
Mr. Joseph Moore
Operation Manager
Western Union Management! (WUMT

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam