419 scam: "Mr. Bernard Lauwers"<b.lauwers@imf.org> IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED

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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:
- "million us dollars" (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)
- ",000,000" (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)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Bernard Lauwers" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <tg.csag@yandex.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2022 04:33:43 -0700
Subject: IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED

You have been selected as a Beneficiary of "five million US dollars(US$5,000,000) COVID-19 Stimulus Payment. This is part of the "International Monetary Fund(IMF) and the American Rescue Plan Program". Payment allocation is based on the bilateral agreement reached by the IMF Executive Council and the United States Government, which focused on financial recovery for individuals and businesses, from the harsh economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

You have about ten(10) business days to claim this fund to avoid re-allocation to other beneficiaries, 10 days after this notification. Respond for further details.

Regards,

Mr. Bernard Lauwers

Director of Finance,

International Monetary Fund(IMF)

700 19th Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20431, USA

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam