W U SolicitorsFund Verification Department

This email was passed to me by a friend who has been scammed. They now know that Western Union do not use web mail addresses (yahoo, gmail, hotmail etc) but again, this could easily fool an innocent person - especially those who do not have English as their first language.

It pretends to be from Western Union SolicitorsFund Verification Department. This does not exist.
It also makes reference to the International Monetary Fund contacting them. The IMF does not deal with private individuals - it exists to help Countries. And they would never use Western Union as a means of transferring funds.

From: Westernunion Office <westernunion_office1970>
To: xxxxxx @ whatever. com
Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:15:59 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER CHARLES
Dear xxxxxxxxx

There is an issue with the WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER in the amount of $950,000.00 USD (Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand United State Dollars)directed in cash credited to fileKTU/9023118308/30, at the owner of this email address.The InternationalMonetary Fund contacted us for your compensation a couple of hours ago due to your allocated security code.

They said that they choose to send it to an email address instead of a name.We are unable to complete a transfer directed at an email address,so we require some more information in order to complete this transfer.

FULL NAME:
FULL CONTACT ADDRESS:
MOBILE PHONE NUMBER:
OCCUPATION:
MARITAL STATUS AND AGE:
In order to resolve this problem,please email via Western Union SolicitorsFund Verification Department: ([email protected])

As soon as this information is received,and you have complied with the requirements of payment of the western union charges,payment will be made to your nominated bank account or at the counter directly from The Western Union Transfering Bank. When emailing,please use reference number 250-153 for our mutual convenience.

THE MANAGEMENT OF WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER,OFFICE
BENIN BRANCH.

Sincerely,

Mr Ome Nana

A very similar scam, with different names:

Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 14:27:42 +0100
From: [email protected]

Western Union®
Dear Sir/Madam,
There is an issue with the WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER UNITED KINGDOM in the amount of $800.000.00 USD directed in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308/03, at the owner of this email address. The INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND contacted us for your compensation a couple of hours ago due to your allocated security code.
They said that they choose to send it to an email address instead of a name. We are unable to complete a transfer directed at an email address, so we require some more information in order to complete this transfer.
FULL NAME:
FULL CONTACT ADDRESS:
MOBILE PHONE NUMBER:
OCCUPATION:
MARITAL STATUS AND AGE:
In order to resolve this problem,please email via Western Union Solicitors Fund Verification Department: ([email protected])
As soon as this information is received,and you have complied with the requirements of payment of the western union charges $200 which you must pay for the IMF International Monetary Fund before your fund can be transfered, payment will be made to your nominated bank account or at the counter directly from The Western Union Transferring Bank.
Note: That this is not one of those Nigerian/African scams that all they are after is to ripe you off your money and at the end you will not receive your funds, but note that this is no scam and is directly from the Management of Western Union Money Transfer United Kingdom Head Office and our Motto is To Serve You Better.
Contact us on our website on www.westernunion.co.uk also note that you would be responsible for any payment that is needed for the transfer of your funds into your nominated bank account or at the counter directly from the Western Union Transferring Bank.
THE MANAGEMENT OF WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER, UNITED KINGDOM HEAD OFFICE.
DISPATCHED THIS DAY
Sincerely,
Dr Tom Plumber
Do call for any questions: +447045763042
www.westernunion.co.uk
Western Union Payments
Western Union®
Welcome to Western Union
Send Money Worldwide
Registered © 2006 - 2007 Western Union Money Transfer All Right Reserved

Another almost identical, with different names etc, and my highlight in red shows the hazards scammers face when cutting and pasting their emails

dratm MrGandi <[email protected]> wrote:
Western Union® ATM MASTER CARD
Welcome to Western Union Money Transfer
Send Money Worldwide

Attention:

There is an issue with the WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER in the amount of (800,000.00)nine hundred and fifty thousand United State Dollars directed in cash credited to file KTU/9023118308, at the owner of this email address. The INTERNATIONALMONETARY FUND contacted us for your compensation a couple of hours ago due to your allocated security code.

They said that they choose to send it to an email address instead of a name. We are unable to complete a transfer directed at an emailaddress,

so we require some more information in order to complete this transfer.

FULL NAME: .................................)
FULL CONTACT ADDRESS:......................)
MOBILE PHONE NUMBER: ............................)
OCCUPATION: ................................................... )
MARITAL STATUS AND AGE: ................................. )

In order to resolve this problem,please email via Western Union
Solicitors Fund Verification Department:

EMAIL/[email protected]

( MR William Gandi From Nigeria )

As soon as this information is received,and you have complied with the requirements of payment of the western union charges $$550, payment will be made to your nominated bank account or at the counter directly from The Western Union Transfering Bank.

Management of Western Union Money Transfer United Kingdom Head Office and our Motto is To Serve You Better.

Below is the information to send the $$550 today through Western Union money transfer to make it faster and easier.

RECEIVER NAME;............EMKA C ANA
COUNTRY;........... NIGERIA
CITY;............... LAGOS
TEST QUESTION;.......... WILLIAM
ANSWER;............ WE GANDI
AMOUNT; ...........$550
MTCN NUMBER............................

Please don't forget to send the MTCN number to me immediately you send the money and make sure that you send with this information to avoid mistake ok. Waiting to have the MTCN. also note that you would be responsible for any payment that is needed for the transfer of your funds into your nominated bank account or at the counter directly
from the Western Union Transferring Bank.

THE MANAGEMENT OF WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER, UNITED KINGDOM HEAD OFFICE.

DISPATCHED THIS DAY
Sincerely,

MR. ( William Gandi.)
( +234-8032-949-556 )
Western Union Payments

Western Union®
Welcome to Western UnionPhone: +234-8032-949-556