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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: "FROM THE OFFICE OF MR.TIMOTHY F.GEITHNER" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <treasurydepartment23@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 01:03:21 -0800
Subject: FROM THE OFFICE OF US DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY..

FROM THE OFFICE OF MR.TIMOTHY F.GEITHNER
Senior Secretary, Foreign Assets Control
The U.S. Department of the Treasury
Treasury Annex
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20220
United States of America

Our Ref: USA/TREAS/898ATCP
Your ref: USA/IMF/7890/2010
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN PAYMENT RESOLUTION PANEL ON WITHHELD PAYMENTS
Beneficiary,

After reviewing your online email communication messages on your
unsuccessful transactions with most European and other foreign banks
in Africa, we wish to let you know that we have communicated with most
of these foreign banks that withheld most international payments to
individual accounts so as to find out why these funds were withheld
and the source of the funds.

Conclusively, we discovered that most of these withheld and/or unpaid
funds being remitted to individual accounts abroad originated from
Nigerian National Petreum corporation (NNPC) lottery organizations,
commercial banks, international trading companies and deceased
personals.

Such transfer suspension was placed on these funds because majority of
these international fund remittance/transfer of over the total sum of
$200 Trillions and above to private individuals account abroad,
usually carried out by foreign Banks, Private or Commercial Courier
Companies were never properly recorded by the paying institution for
future file reference/assessment by Crime Monitoring Units/Agencies.
In joint alliance with the HMRC Treasury Europe, the European
Financial Service Commission & the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
to resolve this issue, we wish to let you know that we have approved
to release only the total sum of Twenty Million United States Dollars
($20,000,000.00 USD) to enable you start up your own business.

Through the assistance of the International Criminal Police
Organization (ICPO) to investigate and release suspended, withheld
and/or unpaid Inheritance/Award Winning/Contract funds to its
beneficiaries account abroad, we were able to gain an approval
authorization letter from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which
stated that these funds will be released by these European and other
foreign banks to its beneficiary on proper confirmation of its claim.
By the virtue of the provision of the law which confer on us powers to
advocate, adjudicate suspend and authorize an immediate transfer of
your funds internationally, we hereby state emphatically and without
prejudice that should there be any information that may succeed your
application for fund release that are currently deposited in most
European and other foreign banks, please do not hesitate to provide us
the information so that we will know how to help you receive your
funds.

Kindly provide your personal contact details by sending us the
information below along with a scanned copy of your international
passport or drivers license so that we will forward it for
verification and payment.

PERSONAL DETAILS;
1. Your Full Name, Nationality & Current Location.
2. Your Age & Current Occupation.
3. Your Phone & Fax Number.
4. Your ID Number (or Attach Identification Documents).
Important Notice: Your inability to make this clarification for fund
transfer with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will continue to
suspend your chances of receiving any international payment directed
to your local bank account from any foreign bank until this
clarification is made.

Failure to properly apply for the funds release for transfer to you
within 7 days, will nullify your chances of receiving this funds, and
this funds will be confiscated and made to be forfeited under the
Money Laundering and Other Financial Crime Prohibition Act of 2003.
Also note that due to my position as the U.S. Treasury Secretary of
the US Department of the Treasury, I will not always be available to
answer any of your calls because i am not always in my office due to
the states political matters and my office numbers are usually engaged
until i return after few days. If you have any issue to discuss
regarding your funds, kindly email me and i will always get back to
you as soon as possible.

Yours Faithfully,
Senior Secretary,
Foreign Assets Control.
U.S. Department of the Treasury.


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