419 scam: "Western Union" <admin@payment.com> Your Compensation have been Approved

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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:
- ",500,000" (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)
- "u.k " (this email uses bad English)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- +447459228143
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.
- paymentofficer14@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Western Union" <admin@payment.com>
Reply-To: paymentofficer14@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2017 04:00:44 -0500
Subject: Your Compensation have been Approved

ATTN

This is to bring to your notice that we have been delegated by the UNITED NATIONS and The UK Government to pay 5,000 victims from your country who has being Victims of Internet scam/fraud. The United Nations and the current UK Government have decided to pay each victims the total sum of $2,500,000 USD (Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) each as compensation. You have been listed and approved for this payment, you are expected to get back to this office as soon as possible for the immediate payment of your funds.

Note: that this email has been sent out to all the people that have been scammed or extorted money from because of your contract payment execution in any part of the world, the UNITED NATIONS /UK Government have agreed to compensate them with the sum of US$2.5.MILLON, This includes every foreign contractors that may have not received their contract sum, and people that have had an unfinished transaction or international businesses that failed due to Government problems or irregularities etc.

We found your email in our list and that is why we are contacting you, this has been agreed upon and has been signed by the United Nations Compensation Board and the UK Government. You have to contact John Cambell, who is the payment officer from the UK, as he is our UNITED NATIONS representative and has been given the approval to process and release your funds to you. He can be reached through these details below:

CASE OFFICER: MR. JOHN BROWN
EMAIL ADDRESS: paymentofficer14@gmail.com
Tel: +44 745 922 8143

You are also advise to send Mr. John Brown these details for confirmation and processing of your funds to you immediately;

Full Name:
Current Address:
Age:
SEX:
Occupation:
Mobile Number:

Thanks and God bless you and your family. Hoping to hear from you as soon as you receive your fund. Making the world a better place for the sake of humanity. Give him your File Reference (UN/UK-PAYOUT/201&) and you are free to contact him via telephone number which he will provide to you upon the receipt of your email.

Best Regards,
Janet Galloway
Chair Person,
U.K Treasury Department.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam