Steer clear of the below 419 spam mail, which tries to make an offer you can’t possibly refuse (protip: totally refuse it).
The scammers claim to be sitting on a large pile of cash which requires you to make one “small” payment in order to receive the full amount. In fact, they’ve dropped the charge after “not hearing back from you last time” – $180 instead of $270. Bargain!
Anybody failing to hand over the cash will have to wave goodbye to their windfall – the 419 author states the money will be sent back to Government funds. The timer is ticking, and five days is all that remains on the clock (or at least it would, if the clock wasn’t a work of fiction along with the rest of the email).
It reads as follows:
ATTENTION: BENEFICIARYThis is to notify you about the latest development concerning all the payment that is left in our custody Last year which yours are inclusive, you were given a bill of $270.00 in order to receive your payment of which we didn’t hear from you for some time now.
Hence, our Western Union is now offering a special BONUS to help all our customers that are having their payment in our custody. In order words we are now requesting that those involve should pay only the sum of $180.00 to receive all their payment abandoned in our custody.
Besides, this is an opportunity for you to comply and your funds shall be transferred to your designated address. But remember after (5DAYS) you don’t make the payment, then we will divert your funds to Government Fund to avoid problem or we shall cancel the payment for this year until next year because this year is not like previous year. Again after (5DAYS) we shall commence a new project before the year runs out that is the reason why we decided to help all our customers before the new project begins.
We advise you make the payment of $180.00 immediately so that your payment can be registered for you to receive $5,000 as from tomorrow.
Be advice that there is no time again for us to call any person on phone unless you call +234-9024422184, E-mail ( westernunoffice4@[snip] ) After the payment of $180 you will start receiving your money every day $5,000 through Western Union, Send the money through Western Union or Money Gram Money Transfer with the
Information's Below:
Sender’s Name:
Receiver's name: Bibian oku Obuero
Sender’s country:
Country: Lagos Nigeria.
Text Question: urgent
Text Answer: urgent
Amount: $180
MTCN:
The moment i receive the payment of $180.00, i will release the first payment information of $5,000 to you, to enable you access and pick up the money and also another will be sent to you,hope to hear from you ASAP.
REGARDS MR WESLEY PETERS. FOREIGN OPERATION MANAGER
Despite the above claims, nobody is going to send you $5,000 a day. All that’ll happen is you become $180 worse off – the cash sent to the scammers via Western Union is likely never going to come back to you. If your mail client hasn’t already dumped this one into the spam folder, feel free to speed it on its way.
The bulk of 419 scam mails aren’t quite so upfront about having you send them money – it’s more typically mentioned a few emails into the chain. This one brings it front and centre, hoping any potential victim is too caught up by the $5,000 a week in return for a comparatively small outlay of cash to think about the dangers.
Don’t fall for it.
Christopher Boyd
