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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: "INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <festusjullian@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 2 May 2018 23:30:02 +0100
Subject: ATTN, BENEFICIARY

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
IMF HEADQUARTERS 2 (HQ2)
24 Brunswick Square
Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HW,
London, UK
 
      
Our Ref:-IMF/LUK/EBP/3290/21                  
                 
RE: IMF IRREVOCABLE INSTRUCTION ON YOUR PROTRACTED PAYMENT                       
Attn: Approved Beneficiary: Payment File Ref: IMF/CB/GH-0932
We as the global financial watchdog  do observe and disrupt illegal transfers and terrorist finance networks all over the world. Base on the financial system that
 
exists today, our operation has involved a wider variety of financial surveillance investigating and targeting a wide variety of financial systems that may be used by
 
terrorists to raise and move funds globally. The sheer volume of capital transfers that regularly take place daily, (more than a trillion US Dollars a day) made
 
tracing of terrorist funds an exquisitely difficult task. Legitimate daily financial transfers are the bedrock of what we know as globalization. Our surveillance has
 
unveiled several systems including illegal enterprises (such as fraud schemes and illegal remittance networks) , legitimate enterprises (such as businesses being used
 
to co-mingle illicit funds with legitimate funds) and charity/relief organizations (in which donations may be diverted to terrorist groups).
In conjunction with United States Intelligence Agency, Investigative Arm of World Bank, Economic Police and Financial Action Task Force, one of the tools that were
 
instructed to us to apply and prevent terrorism is to ascertain the source of fund, the fund origin as genuine and legitimate before final remittance. Our sixty (60)
 
days intensive surveillance paid off last two weekends with the discovery of funds stashed away in a bank in Europe (name withheld) by the officials of African
 
Government in charge of foreign payments. The funds which run into billions of dollars are meant for foreign beneficiaries. However, the said fund/account has been
 
frozen since then for proper scrutiny. I am happy to inform you that this morning we received the nod of  concerned global financial agencies to defreeze the account
 
and use the funds to offset all due approved entitlements of which your fund has been listed as one of the approved payments to be released though we were directed to
 
verify all due payments.
In view of the above, you are directed to send your full personal and payment information. Above all, it is very important to inform you at this point that the release
 
of the payment is solely by direct bank transfer (bank to bank) . Once we receive your full information as requested and your direct bank account where you want the
 
funds to be transferred after vetting, we will instruct the bank to effect the release of your payment with immediate effect.
We are expecting your response and looking forward to receive the information as requested above.
Yours Truly,
Sir,Jullian Festus
 
Director General Economic Budget & Planning
IMF European/African Program Assistance.Center London UK.
 
Contact My Private Email:festusjullian@yahoo.com
N/B: This message is strictly for the addressee, no third party representation or disclosures

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