419 scam: "(I.M.F) BENIN REPUBLIC"<office_file231@att.net> Customers Service Hours--Monday to Saturday:

joewein.net

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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:
- "clearance certificate" (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. )
- "certificate fee" (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. )
- "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. )
- "mtcn" (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. )
- "clearance certificate" (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. )
- "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.

Fraud email example:

From: "(I.M.F) BENIN REPUBLIC" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <i.m.f@globomail.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2011 13:29:54 -0500
Subject: Customers Service Hours--Monday to Saturday:

Customers Service Hours--Monday to Saturday:

Office Hours Monday to Saturday:

YOUR COMPENSATION PAYMENT.

Re: Beneficiary,

We have been waiting for you to contact me for your ATM VISA CARD worth $1,5Million), being compensation fund for 150 scam victims, but I did not hear from you all this while And one Mrs Maria Dean claims she is your representative that we send the money to her.

Please I want to verify from you before we deliver your ATM VISA CARD to her, the issue of this compensation was approved after the meeting held behind closed doors between my humble self and the Director Federal Bureau of Investigation, United Nations Representative in West Africa and the Benin Government and their pesidency, so after this meeting the entire house concluded that all victims of scam will be compensated by the Benin Government as a means to sanitize them, So all we need from you is to follow up our instruction to enable you receive your own ATM VISA CARD before it expires.

Further information, all the documents partaining the compensation is intact with us including Insurance premium and Clearance Certificate Fee of the package showing that it is not Drug Money or meant to sponsor Terrorist attack in your Country. The only money you will send to us is US$50.00 for our diplomatic handling charges,again don't be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except US$50.00.

So confirm the below information to enable our agent get to your home:

1. Full Names:

2. Residential Address:

3. Phone Number:

4. Occupation

5. Country:

6. Identification:

Please you are required to send the handling charges of US$50.00 through western union with this information.

Receiver Name_______ Mr Victor Frank

Country________Benin Republic

City__________Cotonou

Text Question________How Long?

Answer__________Today

Amount__________US$50.00

Sender's Name__________

MTCN____________

I wait for your urgent payment today.

Best regards

Mr. Christine Lagarde.

Managing Director(I.M.F)Benin Republic

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam