419 scam: "Mrs. Lael Brainard" <"w."@room.ocn.ne.jp> DEPARTMENT OF INT'L AFFAIRS

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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:
- "inheritance funds" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
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.
- +22998435508 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
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.
- barristerandbarristerandersonj@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Lael Brainard" <"w."@room.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: "Mrs. Lael Brainard" <barristerandbarristerandersonj@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2016 22:09:43 +0900 (JST)
Subject: DEPARTMENT OF INT'L AFFAIRS

DEPARTMENT OF INT'L AFFAIRS
(Office of the Under Secretary)
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,
Washington D.C. 20220.
Urgent Attention,

I am Mrs. Lael Brainard, Under Secretary for International Affairs of the
United States Treasury Department and was sworn in as the 75th Secretary of the
United States Department of the Treasury in a ceremony attended by President
Barack H. Obama, and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. , see below: http://www.treas.gov/
organization/bios/ Brainard. shtml

Following series of complains from Citizens
of the United States as well as Citizens of Other Countries In Europe over the
Discrepancies and fraudulent ways in which fund transfers are handled by
Africans which has made it impossible for a lot of People to claim their
Winning or Inheritance funds from most African Countries due to frauds and
illegal activities, A decision was reached recently by the United States
Treasury Department under the authority of the White House to compel African
Financial bodies (Banks) to urgently release all funds of American and European
citizens that are trapped in most Banks and Courier Companies in Africa. It was
discovered that some bureaucratic bottlenecks was put by these Banks and
Couriers to make it impossible for beneficiaries to claim their funds so that
they will fraudulently divert those funds to their private accounts.

Consequent upon the aforementioned, I was personally mandated to handle this
matter to ensure that all funds of our Citizens and others which are
fraudulently being trapped in African Banks are urgently retrieved and paid to
the actual Beneficiaries under a legal manner. Our team of experts were
delegated to Benin Republic, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana for this task and
we discovered your File NO: BR227/9005666/00 as unclaimed fund. It was
discovered that officials of the Bank has only put up illegal requirements in
order to make it difficult for you to claim your fund.

The United States Department of Treasury has retrieved all Files of illegal
transactions and we will be working under a legitimate arrangement to ensure
that you follow the normal process to receive your fund.
You are requested to Re-confirm the following information to Barr. Anderson J.
Bernard by e-mail:(barristerandbarristerandersonj@gmail.com )

1. SURNAME.............
2. OTHER NAMES......................
3. PHONE NUMBER AND FAX.................
4. ADDRESS...................
5. AMOUNT TO BE CLAIMED: $36.500,000.00 USD

Be informed that the above information will only enable us to make due
confirmation. We shall ensure that normal process is followed to ensure that
your
fund gets to you without delay. Contact Barr. Anderson J. Bernard who is right
in Benin Republic as the Legal Practitioner to United States Department of
Treasury e-Mail below: (barristerandbarristerandersonj@gmail.com )

Call Barr.Anderson J.Bernard on his phone for urgent attention: +229-98435508

Warm Regards
Mrs. Lael Brainard
(Under Secretary).
Chat Conversation End

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam