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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: "IMF" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <imfofficial@secretary.net>
Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:40:22 -0700
Subject: INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF)

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF)
FINANCIAL MONITORY DEPARTMENT/UNIT.
International Monetary Fund, 1900 Pennsylvania Ave NW,
Washington, DC, 20431 United Kingdom Regional.
Telephone Operator: + 234 809 181 8180
 
 
 
FROM:INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF)
 
ATTENTION,
 
It may interest you to know that your name has been out listed among the next five beneficiaries to benefit from our newly invented program as an associate of World Fund Discovery Management and Payment Bureau. This is in regard's to the outstanding payment and transaction you have in Africa and yet to receive your fund.
 
This program was invented to help fight against the abuse of legal human right by those who are privilege to override the trust of the less privileges, for example the victim of this modern days scam generation. This body was set up to discover an outstanding unpaid fund being owned to Governments or Individuals all over the world through Contract Payment, Inheritance and Lottery Winning Prize Awards.
 
This Group is responsible for investigating the legitimacy of unpaid contract, inheritance and lotto winning claims by companies and individuals and directs the paying authorities (banks) worldwide to make immediate payment of verified claims to the beneficiaries without further delay. You are being legally contacted regarding the release of your long awaited fund. After a detailed review of your file, the Alliance Bank of Nigeria has being mandated that your fund should be release immediately:
 
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
 
You are urged to stop all transaction which you have with the Governmental and Non-Governmental parasites, NGOs, Finance Companies, Banks, Security Companies and Courier companies which have been in contact with you of late, they have been asked to back off from contacting you anymore. Your funds will be remitted to you through this organization once and for all.
 
 
To enable the release of your instant payment, please reconfirm your personal data's so that we can forward them to the paying bank, you are expected to send all detail as requested below without missing any of the lines. Reconfirm your detail to the bank for payment to you now:
 
Full Names:
Address:
Zip/postal code:
City:
State:
Home Tel no:
Mobil:
Select Payment Type: Inheritance/Compensation/Contract funds/Lottery Winnings:........
Amount expected:
Provide Scan Copy of your Driver's License/International Passport/Working ID Card as form of identification:
PAYMENT METHOD: Which do you prefer? (BANK TO BANK WIRE TRANSFER)-(ATM MASTER CARD)-(CASH DELIVERY VIA DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY PAYMENT) Please indicate.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Note: The designated Bank in Nigeria whom is responsible for your payment will call your telephone line for you to identify yourself in person before remitting payment in whichever method you will prefer, so the telephone numbers you are providing must be reachable at all times and someone must always be available to pickup and answer there verification questions coming to you, take note of that. Be informed that you will only be required to pay for the Duty Tax of your fund which will cost you little.
 
The Bank will be waiting for you to forward your details as requested above for your payment to be concluded, as soon as your informations fits in the above, you have every reason to believe that your funds would be released to you instantly. Goodluck
 
Contact Email: imfofficial@secretary.net
Mr Fred Olu
Financial Counselor and Director
Monetary and Capital Markets Department, IMF.
 
 

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