419 scam: "Legal department, International Monetary Fund" <williamford2233@gmail.com> Head of IMF legal Department

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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:
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "lagos" (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.
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "Legal department, International Monetary Fund" <williamford2233@gmail.com>
Reply-To: legalnotaryoffice@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2023 09:42:03 -0700
Subject: Head of IMF legal Department

From the Office of Barr. Jerry Totti
Legal department, International Monetary Fund
No: 25 Okeho Ireakari Estate Isolo Lagos Nigeria.

Attn: Dear,

I Barrister Jerry Totti, the Head of legal department, hereby write to
inform you on the summit held last week in Aso-Rock Abuja Federal
Capital Territory

(FCT) It's about your unpaid funds which beneficiaries that have not
received their funds till date and have been frustrated by paying one
charges or the

other to the authorities in charge of their payment without any success.

however, the IMF Managing Director promised and assured all the
beneficiaries that have not received their funds on the summit that he
will use his good

office to release all the genuine funds and consignments that was
seized in all the entire International airports nationwide at the flat
rate of USD$105

only, starting from today till 30th of this month and the offer will close.

Base on the above, I Barrister Jerry Totti on behalf of the IMF
Managing Director write to inform you that your name is on our pay
list as a genuine

beneficiary, and you are urgently advise to pay the above benefit
charge of USD$105 as stated above to enable you receive your fund on
or before 30th of this

month as stated above.

Note that your delay in this offer will cost more damages in your
financial life, so treat very urgent as you may not have this kind of
opportunity again in

your whole life.

Best Regards,

Barrister Jerry Totti
Head of IMF legal Department
Direct Mobile: +2349068177354

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam