419 scam: "The Minister of finance" <credit------243674@att.net> Payment Release Instruction:...................................................

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- fmgh@sify.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "The Minister of finance" <credit------243674@att.net>
Reply-To: <fmgh@sify.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:13:21 -0000
Subject: Payment Release Instruction:..............................................................

Dear Sir,

Payment Release Instruction:..............................................................

I am Dr. Kwabena Dufour The Minister of finance,Republic Of Ghana.
I was mandated to contact you by the Legal Department Of The ECOWAS / African Union with the presidency committee together with the senate committee. Your payment Refund file was brought to my office and is marked unpaid.

During thorough investigation, i discovered that your payment has remained unpaid, for reasons that are obvious probably due to the greedy attitude of our officials because of their incessant demand for unwarranted fees.

However, due to the African Presidential instruction Mandate given to my office last month in-conjunction with the ECOWAS to pay all outstanding payment on or before 10th of Nov 2011, I hereby inform you that your fund is ready for release.

The transfer processes has been concluded. You are among the few that has been chosen as one of the Beneficiaries for this first quarter payment schedule. As a matter of urgent importance, you should get back to me urgently Via E-mail and reconfirm the following.

(1) Your Bank Coordinates with full Bank Address.

(2) Your Payment Details, namely Origin of your fund and other relevant details concerning your payment to enable us verify the genuineness and authenticity of your claims.
(3) Your telephone and fax number.
(4) Amount Of Money To Be Transferred.

My Office is mandated to work with every level of sincerity based on the Government guide lines because we have just Signed an Agreement with a London Bank, Norway Bank, Germany Bank from where all transfers will take place also, We have entered into payment Agreement with another Big Bank in Ghana called STANDARD CHARTERED BANK for direct wire transfers through a direct transmission lunch pack without passing through any Correspondence Bank.

This Agreement became necessary because of the failure from Local Banks and Central Banks over the years to meet up with Customers credit lines.

Please give this matter the urgent attention required.

Thanks for your Co-operation.

Yours Faithfully

Dr. Kwabena Dufour
The Minister of Finance
Email: fmgh@sify.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam