419 scam: "Internet Fraud Investigation Dept"<postmaster@localhost.com> YOUR FUND INVESTIGATION

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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:

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:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
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.
- ashrugbengaoffice@superposta.com (Superposta; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Internet Fraud Investigation Dept" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <alxedwrdinvstdept@superposta.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2013 05:56:57 -0400
Subject: YOUR FUND INVESTIGATION

Attention,

We contacted you some time ago after the discovery and report contained in this email regarding scams you may have been into or still going through from impostors in West Africa that sends out thousands of scam emails daily looking for foreigners to rip off imposing offices and personals here but you did not reply or the email was not delivered, we are writing again to let you know that those impostors and fraudsters who have been sending you scam email all have your email and other info on their files and that is why you have been receiving all kinds of scam email, some group of impostors caught ripping foreigners off from a local cyber cafe in Lagos Nigeria,Cotonou Benin republic and Accra Ghana confessed imposing Banks/Delivery Company/EFCC/IMF/FBI/Western Union/Money gram/Diplomat Agents/ and others imposed offices around the globe especially in West Africa and your info is with them, we were told they have requested money after money for acquiring never existing and fake documents from most of their vic

You are being contacted by the Internet Scam Investigation Department of the Economical and Financial Crimes,the people you are dealing with are all impostors operating from different part of Africa, they only want your money and they are the same people but write you differently and that is why you may have been receiving a lot of email daily and you are confused because you don't know the truth, you find it very easy sending your personal information to any emails claiming they have fund approved in your name and you have not made true inquiry before you start dealing with them and as a result your info is on the internet and that gives these fraudsters easy access to flood your email box with scams,they are not what and never who they claim and I don't know how long you have been dealing with them or responding to them,

You can not blame any real Bank in West Africa or any personnel here, these impostors impose them and scam thousands of foreigners but you end up blaming these real offices in Africa or the personals only because you don't know it was not really them but impostors.

I ask, have you been able to find out why you receive all kinds of emails daily claiming it have funds for you here and there? Have you really inquired from the right office in West Africa to know if there is actually any true approved fund you have here? if there is any fund awarded in your name at all? Or do you believe anybody that contacts you and says they have fund for you? recent report from the Internet Scam Investigation Dept revealed that 78% of internet crimes in Africa is being carried out by jobless youths in West Africa (issue on unemployment rate in West Africa) authorities are working hard to eradicate internet scams West Africa to protect the image of this continent,it was also revealed that these fraudsters has partners working with them all over the World, so it is all over the World.

By the virtue of subsection (3) of section 4 of the 1999 Economical and financial crime Constitution all 102 Section 120 of the Criminal Procedure Act gives the court a discretion for judgment against these impostors to serve 21years jail terms,furthermore the Nigerian Government shall no longer award compensation fund having dne that few years ago, Meanwhile you are advised to contact the Foreign Affairs Commission to make inquiry if you have any approved fund in Africa be it compensation fund/contract/inheritance/winnings make your inquiry first from the Foreign Affairs Commission, contact Mr. Alhaji Tijani Suleman on the following e-mail: ashrugbengaoffice@superposta.com or info01@foreignaffair.at.pn

Foreign Affairs Commission
Mr.Alhaji Tijani Suleman
E-mail: info01@foreignaffair.at.pn

Report any email you receive that claims to have funds for you from West Africa to this office.the only office you should contact and know the truth if you have ay true fund approved here or if you are among the compensated beneficiaries is the Foreign Affairs Commission,

Detective Alex Murphy
Head Internet Scam Investigation and Information Group
Economical and Financial Crime Commission.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam