419 scam: "ECOWAS REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT"<mandy@wahanasteel.co.id> Letter from Mrs. Antionette Sayeh I.M.F West African Director.

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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:

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:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "the consignment" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "consignment " (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
- "diplomatic courier" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "ecowas " (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
- "fastwaydelivery@y7mail.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- "fastwaydelivery@y7mail.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: "ECOWAS REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ecowasremittanced@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:10:29 -0300
Subject: Letter from Mrs. Antionette Sayeh I.M.F West African Director.

Attention Please Read Carefully.

Letter from Mrs. Antionette Sayeh I.M.F West African Director. This is to notify you that International Monetary Fund West African Region has Approve compensation fund to all short listed scam victims whose name was recovered during the recent investigation process going on at western union and Money gram money transfer here in West Africa. Your name was found among the list of those that sent so much money through western union to Africa, after our investigation we find out that you have sent so much money to those Fraudsters in west Africa without receiving anything from them.

It was on these very recommendation that International Monetary Fund West African Region Approve The Sum of US$2.600.000.00-{ Two Million Six Hundred Thousand United States Dollar to you, in other to compensate you for all you lost to those Fraudsters who Collect Money from you without given you the fund they claim to have in your name, Is an order from United Nation and Word Government to all the West Africa Countries to compensate all the short listed scam victims whose name was recovered during the recent investigation process going on at western union and Money gram money transfer here in Africa.

Your Compensation Fund valued US$2.600.000.00-{ Two Million Six Hundred Thousand United States Dollar has been program in iron sealed consignment box and deposited with Fastway Diplomatic Courier Company (Lagos) Nigeria for immediate delivery to your home address, The reason while Fastway Couriers is chosen to deliver your fund, is because they are the best shipping company in West Africa and For your information the deliver charges has been paid, They were supposed to shipped your Consignment box today but they insisted that you must re-confirm your current address to avoid wrong delivery, without that they will not carry on with the delivery.

Mean while you are advice to re-confirm your current Address, Country, Full Names and Telephone Number to Fastway Diplomatic Courier Company on this Contact information below to enable them get across to you and deliver your compensation fund to you.

Courier Company Name : Fastway Couriers.
Address : 10 Fourteenth Avenue Maitland (Lagos) Nigeria.
Contact E-mail : fastwaydelivery@y7mail.com

Note, there is a secret about the consignment box and the secret is that, we didn't disclosed the consignment box content to the Courier Company, The reason is because, if they knows that the box contain your US$2,600,000.00-{ Two Million Six Hundred Thousand United States Dollar } They might be having the thought of running away with the funds and bringing back some excuses, so our arrangement with the Courier Company is that, the box contain a FILES OF YOUR PROPERTIES, so it is only we and you that know the box content, and you must not disclosed the box content to the Courier Company until you receive the box from them.

You can reach the Courier Company on this email address : ( fastwaydelivery@y7mail.com ) and also re-confirm your current Delivery Address, Country, Full Names and Telephone Number to them in order to avoid wrong delivery.

Make sure you get in touch with the Courier Company today to enable them deliver your consignment box to you. Thank you and have a nice day.

Thank you.

Yours Sincerely,
DR.Mrs.Antoinette Sayeh
I.M.F West African Director.

Best Regard,

Mr.Samuel Bello
Authorization Minister
ECOWAS WEST AFRICA

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam