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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:

Fraud email example:

From: Bernard Lauwers <babangidaa287@gmail.com>
Reply-To: bernardlauwers000@outlook.com
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2023 12:50:51 +0100
Subject: Your Swift Response Is Highly Needed

International Monetary Fund,
Headquarters (HQ)
Address: 700 19th Street, N.W, Washington, D.C. 20431, USA

Certified And Approved Payment Of (US$10,700.000.00) Only.

This is to apprise 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 overdue payment, due to excessive
demand of money from you by both corrupt Bank Officials and Courier
Companies after which your funds remain unpaid to you. I am Mr.
Bernard Lauwers, Finance Director of the International Monetary Fund
(IMF). It may interest you to know that reports have reached our
office by so many correspondences regarding the unpleasant and
outrageous way in which people like you are being 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.

All Governmental and Non-Governmental parasites, NGOs, Finance
Companies, Banks, Security Companies and Courier companies which have
been in contact with you lately has been instructed to back off from
your transaction and you are been advised NOT to respond to them
anymore since the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is now directly in
charge of your payment. Your name appeared in our payment schedule
list of beneficiaries that will receive their funds in this first
quarter payment of the year because we only transfer funds twice in a
year according to our banking regulation. We apologize for the delay
of your payment, and please stop communicating with any office or
facility henceforth and pay attention to our office payment scheme
accordingly. Below are your new payment approval numbers. United
Nation Payment Approval No: UN5685P; White House Approved No: WH44CV;
Reference No: 35460021; Allocation No: 674632; Password No: 339331;
Pin Code No: 55674; Certificate of Merit Payment No: 103; Released
Code No: 0763;Immediate (IMF) Telex confirmation No: 1114433; Secret
Code No: XXTN013.

Note that your compensation fund is worth a total sum of US$10.7
Million only. Having received these vital payment numbers, you are
therefore qualified now to receive and confirm your payment with the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) without any further delay. We assure
you that your payment will get to you as long as you follow our
directives and instructions. We have decided to give you a private
code and the code is '' 601''. Please, any time you receive an email
with the name Bernard Lauwers, check if this code (601) is on the
email. If the code is not written, please delete the message from your
box because it's not coming from me nor from our office. You are
hereby advised NOT to remit further payment to any institutions with
respect to your transaction as your fund will be remitted to you
directly from our source. I hope this is clear because any action
contrary to this instruction is at your own risk. Respond immediately
to this notice as soon as received with (Interested), and furnish us
with the details below for immediate proceedings of your payment today
without any further delay.

Full Name:
Occupation:
Valid Identity Card:
Delivery Address:
Direct Telephone Number:

Acknowledge receipt of this email as soon as received.

Best Regards,
Mr. Bernard Lauwers
Finance Director of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF)(601)

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