What is the “UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION (COVID19 ASSISTED PROGRAM)” scam email

The “UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION (COVID19 ASSISTED PROGRAM)” email is part of a scam email campaign that claims the recipients are eligible for compensation. The email promises users a golden box, supposedly worth $5.5 million. This and similar emails aim to phish users’ personal information. If users engage with this scam email, they could end up revealing highly sensitive information.

 

 

This “UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION (COVID19 ASSISTED PROGRAM)” scam email is just another version of the classic “Nigerian Prince” scams that promise users money. But instead of a wealthy Nigerian prince looking to move money out of Nigeria, this email claims that the recipient is eligible for compensation. The email is poorly written, so it isn’t easy to understand what the compensation is exactly. Supposedly, the sender is someone named Hellen Steward, “the newly appointed director General in charge of approving & releasing all owed yet unpaid foreign payments and also the special adviser to the United-Nation”.

The sender explains that the recipient’s name has been released in some kind of committee and approved to receive compensation. The compensation will supposedly be delivered in the form of a golden metal box that’s valued at $5.5 million. According to the sender, the box has arrived at the Dulles International Airport in Washington from Heathrow Airport in London and supposedly needs to be picked up.

Users are asked to provide their personal information to get the box. The requested info includes full name, home address, phone number, occupation, and the nearest airport. Personal information is a hot commodity among cybercriminals, and this email is just one of the ways they get it. Stolen personal information can be used to perform more sophisticated deceptions or sold on hacker forums to other cybercriminals. If users reply to the email with their information, scammers would reply asking for more information. They may even ask for some kind of payment.

The full “UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION (COVID19 ASSISTED PROGRAM)” email is below:

UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION&COVID19 ASSISTED PROGRAM) DIRECTORATE OF INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT.
United Nations Assisted Program – UK
3 Whitehall Court
London-SW1A 2EL.

I am Mrs Hellen Steward, the newly appointed director General in charge of approving & releasing all owed yet unpaid foreign payments and also the special adviser to the United-Nation. You have been selected through our computer ballot Your Consignment registration #:CT8100AFUK.

I am delighted to inform you that the contract/Inheritance panel of the UN/COVID19 Awarded Payment, which just concluded it’s seating in London just released your (E-mail Id & Name) among the currently approved beneficiaries who are to benefit 100% from this very diplomatic 2nd quarter payment of the year. This panel was primarily delegated to investigate all genuinely owed debts and claims as it has been over due.

This package in a Golden metal box valued $5.5Million US (Five million Five hundred thousand Us Dollars)has arrived Dulles International Airport Washington Dc from Heath-row airport London Through Diplomatic sealed.

At this moment, I wish to use this medium of communication to inform you that for the time being the (UN) has completely stopped further payment through bank to bank transfer, ATM Card, Bank Draft or Check Payment due to numerous petitions received from the united states home-land security, the FBI, IMF and other financial and security agencies to UK Government against our banks on wrong payment and diversion of innocent beneficiaries owed funds to a different account,the diplomat agent already arrive in the united state with your consignment box conveying the amount to be delivered to you.

Please reconfirm these information’s : .
1. Your Full Name: ……………..
2. Your current address: ……….
3. Your phone number: …………..
4. Nearest airport to your location………
5. Your Occupation: ……………

Contact the Delivery agent

Info below to speed up your Delivery Today.
Dulles International Airport Washington dc
Address: 1 Saarinen Cir, Dulles, VA 20166, USA.
Email:(westernpromo123@gmail.com)
Direct Telephone: +1 2705514544
Delivery Man Mr Johnson Nugent

Respectfully Yours in-service,
Mrs Hellen Steward.
United Nation Compensation Assisted Program Chief Executive On payment matters.

This email is a very obvious scam and is unlikely to trick anyone. It’s a very low-effort scam email, with countless grammar and spelling mistakes. Grammar/spelling mistakes are the most obvious giveaway of a scam/malicious email. The whole email is very difficult to comprehend due to the mistakes, and it’s certainly not written by a native English speaker. Considering the sender is supposed to be from the UK and works in a very high-profile position, this level of English is an immediate giveaway even if users were to initially believe the contents of the email.