419 scam: "MR. TIMOTHY OSONUGA"<elimark@yahoo.com> The truth about your funds

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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:
- "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. )
- "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. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +2348036991780 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR. TIMOTHY OSONUGA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <auditortimothy@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2016 23:33:59 -0800
Subject: The truth about your funds

Mr. Timothy Osonuga.
Auditor General of the Federation
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Tel: 234-803-699-1780.

Dear Patricia Gordon,

I Mr. Timothy Osonuga, the Auditor General of the Federation, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

His Excellency, The new President Elect of Federal Republic of Nigeria General Mohammed Buhari ordered for immediate Review and Auditing of all foreign payments for the immediate payment to the Bonafide Beneficiaries.

Upon this Decision, the president Elect inaugurated this office to investigate and Audit all the dissolved tax forces on payment from all banks in Nigeria and beyond Since other commercial banks lost its credibility during the last regime. This office was mandated to pay off any Beneficiary certified OK after the review of conciliation.

However, your payment file was brought to my office this morning for formal auditing and after the investigation and Auditing of this payment file, I discovered that this funds does not belong to you, I crave your understanding of the fact that no payment was genuinely
accredited to you by Federal Government of Nigeria.

This funds your names was attached to emanated through the funds of a Deceased Contractor from Germany who deposited his fund with First Bank of Nigeria. For the fact that the original depositor of this fund is dead, those unscrupulous elements invited you to claim this funds without knowing that the truth will later be known.

Note, That I was supposed to council this payment after my investigation / Auditing, but for a reason which I will let you know when I hear from you. Be inform that nobody knows the out come of this Investigation apart from you, I decided to keep it to myself and seek
your opinion on this matter first. Because I know that it wasn't your fault, you were only contacted by these unscrupulous elements who claimed to be Government officials.

I concluded to write a favorable report on your behalf confirming your claims to be genuine. With this satisfactory report I will make on your payment file, A LEGAL CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE shall be obtained from the Federal Ministry of Justice {FMJ} in the name of your company as one of our foreign contractors who execute contract for Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation {NNPC}, but yet to receive your
contract funds in full as now required by the present civilian Government.

This piece of information you have at hand is the true position of things here and if you are ready to work with me you must STOP further correspondence with those unscrupulous elements here in Nigeria and out side Nigeria, I WILL LEGALIZE YOUR CLAIM. Thereby making this funds yours with my position.

If you wish to work with me call me on this number 234-803-699-1780 for verbal discussions on what exactly you need to do to receive this funds.

Thanks,

AMr. Timothy Osonuga.
Auditor General of the Federation
Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam