joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

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:

Fraud email example:

From: "INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <info.imf774@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2017 11:44:25 +0100
Subject: INSTRUCTION TO RELEASE YOUR FUND

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF),
( I.M.F ) Head Office,
FCT, Abuja-Nigeria
P.O. Box 3031.

Ref: IMF/ANIG/GNN82017

INSTRUCTION TO RELEASE YOUR FUND

ATTENTION: DEAR FUND BENEFICIARY,

This is to intimate you of a very important information which will be of a great help to redeem you from all the difficulties you have been experiencing in getting your long over due payment due to excessive demand for money from you by both corrupt Bank officials and Courier Companies after which your fund remain unpaid to you.

I am Mr. John Lee, a highly placed official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It may interest you to know that reports have reached our office by so many correspondences on the uneasy way which people like you are treated by Various Banks and Courier Companies/ Diplomat across Europe to Africa and Asia /London UK and we have decided to put a stop to that and that is why I was appointed to handle your transaction here in Nigeria.

All Governmental and Non-Governmental prostates, NGOs, Finance Companies, Banks, Security Companies and Courier companies which have been in contact with you of late have been instructed to back off from your transaction and you have been advised NOT to respond to them anymore since the IMF is now directly in-charge of your payment.

You are hereby advised NOT to remit further payment to any institutions with respect to your transaction as your fund will be transferred to you directly from our source. I hope this is clear. Any action contrary to this instruction is at your own risk.

We apologise for the delay of your payment and please stop communicating with any office now and follow our office payment directives. This is your New Payment Reference No: 35460021, Allocation No: 674632, Password No: 339331, Pin Code No: 55674 and your Certificate of Merit Payment No: 103, Released Code No: 0763; Immediate Telex confirmation No: 1114433, Secret Code No: XXTN013. Having received these vital payment numbers. Therefore You are qualified now to receive and confirm your payment $10.5 Million dollars immediately.

Re-confirm the information below:

1. Your Full Name:
2. Direct Phone Number:
3. Mobile Phone Number # (if available):
4. Your Residential Address:
5. Occupation

Respond to this e-mail address (info.imf774@gmail.com) with immediate effect and we shall give you further details on how your fund will be released to you. Also call me on my direct telephone no +234-7058589675 as soon as you send the e-mail so that you will be given an immediate response:

Yours Sincerely,
Mr. John Lee (I.M.F)

Anti-fraud resources: