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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 ATHENS, GREECE" <international@imonetaryfund.tk>
Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:18:31 +0000
Subject: YOUR IMF COMPENSATION PAYMENT AS A SCAMMED VICTIM

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
EXTERNAL RELATIONS/DEBT
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
58, RUE DE MOILLEBEAU, 1209,ATHENS
GREECE
OUR REF: WB/IMF/WA-XX027/MA2010
DATE: 16/12/2010.
TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNER OF THIS EMAIL ADDRESS


YOUR IMF COMPENSATION PAYMENT AS A SCAMMED VICTIM

This is to officially notify you that the meeting held on Monday,
the 14th of December 2010 here in Athens, Greece concerning the rapid
growth of fraudulent activities that has been going on globally,
especially from the African continent as contained in a report
submitted by the International Monitoring Unit of the IMF and the
World Bank Anti Craft Commission respectively reviewed that you are
among the victims, hence we have been authorized by the governing body
of the International Monetary Fund (I.M.F) to compensate few affected
victims selected by the International Monitoring Unit based on the
recommendation of the commission.
In lieu of the above, you are been compensated with the sum of
USD250.000.00 [Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand US Dollars] and the fund
will be release to you through our office in Athens Greece or Italy.

Yours Sincerely,

Mrs. Susan Beck.
Programme Coordinator,
IMF Athens-Greece.

Anti-fraud resources: