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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Ho Tamaki" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <htamaki@live.cn>
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:27:00 +0800
Subject: Vital Message From: Mr. Ho Tamaki - 18

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF)
International Debt Settlement Unit,
Room 3612, China World Tower 2,
No. 1 Jianguomenwai Avenue
Beijing 100004, P.R. China.
Website: www.imf.org


Attn: Beneficiary,

Subject: Immediate Payment Notification

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 186 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.
As one of the outcomes of the year 2009 annual International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) summit held on 2nd-7th October, 2009, it was decided that IMF will monitor the payment of funds currently floating in the international financial database. Consequently, we write to notify you that you are among those that have a huge sum of money credited in their names for transfer and is currently floating in the international banking community. These funds originated from unpaid contractor sum, inheritance/next of kin and lottery beneficiaries that originated from Europe, Asia Plus Middle east, American and Africa. You are among the list of individuals and companies whose unpaid funds have been approved for payment under the supervision of China representative office of the International Monetary Fund.
Under the stipulated guidelines of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other member countries of the United Nations, any amount of money that has been found in the international financial database waiting to be transferred without claims after the submission of every payment report shall be confiscated and forfeited to the United Nations account.

We do hereby ask you to contact this office within 3 days of receiving this notification to enable us advice you on how to make your claim or consider your fund confiscated. Remember to send your :-

i- Name in Full
ii- Current office or Residential Address
iii- Current Direct Phone Number


Yours faithfully

Ho Tamaki
International Debt Settlement Unit (China)


-----------------------------------------WARNING------------------------------------
This communiqué is from the International Monetary Fund, beneficiaries are advised to adhere strictly to directives. Any fund beneficiary who ignores instruction will be doing so at his/her own risk.

Anti-fraud resources: