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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 Settlement Dept." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <info@settledeptimf.tk>
Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:49:37 +0800
Subject: Immediate ATM DEBIT Cash Card Payment Notification

International Settlement Dept.
Room 3612, China World Tower 2,
No. 1 Jianguomenwai Avenue
Beijing 100004, P.R. China
 
Immediate ATM DEBIT Cash Card Payment Notification
 
This is to officially inform you that we the International Monetary Fund
Reconciliation Schemes have choose to verify your contract/inheritance file
and found that why you been unable to receive your payment because you have
not fulfilled the obligations given to you in respect of your contract /
inheritance payment which this office had the original seal of this agreement
with the assigned governmental organization between the
involved parties.
 
Secondly we have been informed that you are still dealing with the none
officials in the bank and all your attempts to secure the release of the fund
to you have not been successful for this reasons. We wish to advice you that such
an illegal act like this have to stop if you wish to receive your payment since we
have decided to bring a solution to your problem.
 
We have arranged your payment through our swift card payment centers,which is
the latest instruction from International Monetary Fund Reconciliation office.
The card center will send to you an ATM debit card which you will use to withdraw
your money in any ATM machine in any part of the world, so if you like to receive
your fund in this way,please let us know by contacting our ATM Center Manager with
the requested information as listed below to the follow office via email.
International Monetary Fund,
 
International Settlement Dept.
Room 3612, China World Tower 2,
No. 1 Jianguomenwai Avenue
Beijing 100004, P.R. China
Telephone:008613226417582
Email: info@settledeptimf.tk
CONTACT PERSON: Mr Frank Wright
 
Required information:
1. Full Name 
2. Phone and Fax Number
3. Address Were You Want Them to Send the ATM Card to (P.O Box Not Acceptable)
4. Your Age and Current Occupation 
5. Country:
 
In the mean time we have been mandated to issue out this payment via this
scheme due this fiscal budget year of 2010 against the World Financial and
Economic crisis. Also for your information, you have to stop any further
communication with any other person (s) or office(s) to avoid any hitches
in receiving your payment. Note that because of impostors, we hereby issued
you our code of conduct, which is (ATM-3914) so you have to indicate this
code when contacting the card center by using it as your subject.Now contact
our ATM center Manager for moredetails.
 
We Wait For Your Expedite Response.
 
Yours in Service,
Mrs. Jane Wong
International Settlement Dept.
International Monetary Fund

Anti-fraud resources: